


Chasing Ghosts

by WickedWitchoftheWilds



Series: Chasing Ghosts [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Biting, Blood, Chateau d'Onterre, Close Calls, Crestwood, Dead Body, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, Implied Child Murder, Infection, Medical Procedures, Paranormal, Road Trips, Scary, Shared Dreams, Spooky, Thedas, attempted drowning, graveyard, new characters - Freeform, one night stand mention, paranormal attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedWitchoftheWilds/pseuds/WickedWitchoftheWilds
Summary: After years of trying to hide her ability to sense and interact with ghosts, Makenna decides to embark on a trip that proves what she experiences is real. With her friends in tow, and a mysterious stranger in her dreams, Makenna finds more than she bargained for.
Relationships: Fen'Harel | Solas/Original Character(s), Fen'Harel | Solas/Original Female Character(s), Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, Solas (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s), Solas/Makenna
Series: Chasing Ghosts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948183
Comments: 73
Kudos: 27





	1. Reasonable Beginnings

_The hallway stretched out in front of her. There was no telling how long at it was. It just tapered off into darkness. Wall sconces flickered uncertainly on either side of her. Their faint orange glow did little to illuminate the hall. The darkness beckoned to her, but she didn’t want to go. Something was waiting. And it felt hungry._

“Why are you doing this again?”

Makenna sighed. Dorian was reclining on her bed, his back propped up by her pillows, while she rifled through her drawers for her clothes. It wasn’t the first time he had asked the question. He had asked when she e-mailed him months ago to plan the trip. He had asked again when she confirmed a month ago that he was still coming. And now he was asking again.

“Because it’s for my thesis—”

“There are plenty of journals about this. Why don’t you research those?” he asked.

Makenna tossed some shirts on her bed so she could fold them to fit in her suitcase. “I have researched them and they are lacking,” she said, tossing some shorts and leggings on top of the shirts. “Besides, nothing beats having personal experience. I’ll have actual findings.”

“Or you could get nothing,” he reminded her.

She began to fold her clothes to fit. “I know, I know. You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“I just don’t want you to get your hopes up,” Dorian said. “You’ve worked hard, and I’d hate to see it all go down the drain because you couldn’t find enough evidence to support your theories.”

“I know it’s a possibility, but I just…” she trailed off, holding a stray shirt in her hand. “I just have a good feeling about this.”

Dorian sighed. “Are you sure this isn’t just another attempt at escaping your family?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Makenna finished shoving her clothes in the suitcase and turned back to her dresser to grab undergarments.

“A road trip that takes up nearly the whole summer. You won’t really have time to see your family or Kiernan—”

“Dorian—”

“Your _fiancé_ , Kiernan. The one you don’t want to marry, but you also don’t want your mother to be disappointed in you,” Dorian finished.

“So what if I want one more year to myself,” she grumbled with her back to him.

“Makenna, in a year you’re going to marry him and be unhappy for the rest of your life. Unless you say something,” he argued.

“There’s nothing to say,” she shot back, shrugging. “If I don’t do it, I let the family down. Mom already thinks I’m a stain on the family name. Not like Grainne. She’s perfect and can do no wrong.”

“I like Grainne, but things would be awfully boring if you were her and not you,” Dorian said, standing up to rest his chin on top of her head. “And you’re not a stain. Not by a long shot.”

Makenna sighed. “I wish I had the courage to say no.”

“Well…maybe you’ll find it on this trip,” he reassured her.

“You think?”

“Of course. After all, I’ll be there to help you look for it,” he said, squeezing her shoulders.

Makenna snorted. “I guess it helps that Bull will be coming with us too,” she teased.

“What do you mean?” Dorian asked, dropping his gaze.

Makenna rolled her eyes. “We all know about your fling last summer.”

“Is that why you invited him too?” Dorian asked, narrowing his eyes. “I assure you I don’t need any help with my romantic life.”

“I invited him because he’s skeptical,” Makenna answered. “A skeptic is good for my research. The fact that you have a crush on him is just gravy.”

“I do not,” he argued. “It was a one-time thing. That’s it.”

Makenna shrugged. “If you say so. But there’s only two rooms at some of the places we’re going. Raina and I are already bunking together,” she said while moving out of his grasp to throw a few more things in her suitcase.

“So what?”

“Some of those rooms only have _one_ bed.” She grinned. “So I guess we’ll see how much of a non-crush you have.”

“You’re incorrigible,” Dorian grumbled. “And sneaky.”

“Maybe a little,” she agreed, zipping up her suitcase. “Are you ready?”

“My stuff’s already in the car.”

“And the equipment?” Makenna picked up her suitcase.

“In the car too,” Dorian answered. “We were just waiting on you to finish packing your wardrobe.”

Makenna stuck her tongue out at him while backing out of the room. “Trust me. If I was packing all of my clothes, we would’ve been here a lot longer.”

Dorian closed the door to her room behind her. They walked down the hallway to the living room. Makenna’s roommate, Donnchad, was gone for the day. The only thing he had to do while she was gone was water her plants. The rent for two months was in an envelope tacked to the front of the fridge. She paused in the kitchen to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. Her clothing was all packed, along with toiletries, her wallet, phone, charger, and her laptop. The equipment needed for the trip was already packed in the car.

“Ready?” Dorian asked.

Makenna nodded, giving her apartment one last look. This would be the last summer, last year she would spending here. Unless she somehow found a way to tell her mother that she wasn’t going through with the arranged marriage. She loved her little apartment. It would be a shame to give it up. With a sigh, Makenna gestured to the door with a tilt of her head. “Let’s go.”

Dorian held the door open for her and then waited as she made sure the door was locked behind her. They walked down the wooden walkway and down the stairs to the parking lot. It was clear skies and sunny outside. Even in the early afternoon, it was uncomfortably hot. Thank goodness the car had AC. Dorian pressed a button on the key fob and the back lifted for Makenna to fit her suitcase in. For years everyone had teased her for having a mom van instead of a smaller car, but who was laughing now. No one would be cramped during the trip and there was still plenty of room for the equipment.

Makenna held her hand out for the keys. The drive up to the Storm Coast was a long one. She would take the first shift driving. “Coffee stop?” she asked, closing the trunk.

“Do you really have to ask?” Dorian sauntered around to the passenger side.

Makenna giggled. “Not really,” she said, opening the driver’s door and climbing behind the wheel. The moment she put the key in the ignition and turned the car on, Dorian reached for the AC controls to turn it on. “You’re in charge of the music,” she reminded him, buckling herself in.

“Excellent!” Dorian said, pulling out his music player and plugging the cord into the headphones jack. “I made a playlist just for this trip.”

“Did you really?” she snorted, backing the car out of the space.

“If we’re going to spend the next couple of weeks chasing spirits around, we should at least have a good soundtrack,” he responded, pressing play on the first [song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRDCteKULaM)

_In summer I drowned you_

_In winter I found you_

It was early enough that the traffic wasn’t terrible. Although the line to the coffeeshop was wrapped around the building. Makenna ordered them both coffee—an iced caramel mocha for her and a spiced chai latte for Dorian—and breakfast sandwiches to eat on the way. Just enough to get them through until they would inevitably have to stop for lunch and fuel when they crossed the border into Fereldan.

_As the world falls apart around me_

_The serpent is dreaming_

Dorian dozed off the moment they exited Val Royeaux, and Makenna turned down the music so it wouldn’t disturb him. The quiet gave her time to think.

_I don't know this feeling_

_As we break through the other side_

She didn’t tell Dorian about the dreams. If she had, he would’ve tried to talk her out of the trip. Looking for haunted locales and spirits was one thing. Searching for the source of nightmares was something else entirely. He would warn her that she was inviting it in by looking for it. And perhaps she would listen. But she needed to know what it was.

Makenna had spent most of her young life seeing and hearing things that others told her didn’t exist. They were just the imaginings of a lonely child that needed attention. No one perpetuated this more than her mother. Eventually, Makenna stopped speaking about the things she witnessed, and the things she dreamed. And she stopped speaking to her mother about anything in her personal life. It was better than facing constant judgment and disappointment.

Dorian woke up, blinking as the sunlight slanted across his face when they crossed into Fereldan. They had made better time than she thought so it was too early for lunch, but she needed to stop for fuel. “Do you want me to take over?” he asked as she pulled into a station.

“Not yet,” she answered, unclipping her seatbelt. “But you could go and get snacks and something to drink.”

Dorian climbed out of the van and made his way inside while Makenna grabbed her wallet and took care of filling up the tank. Leaning against the van while she waited, she looked up at the sky. It was sunny here, but off in the distance, she could see storm clouds gathering. She hoped it would hold off for a while. Driving in the rain sucked. And they would have to do enough of it when they got closer to the Storm Coast.

He was back in the car before she was, taking their empty coffee cups and tossing them into the trash before setting two fresh ones in the holder. There were bottles of water in the bag that he placed behind her seat for later. “If you have to use the bathroom, I’d go now,” she said. “I don’t plan to stop until we reach Haven.”

“Oh?” he asked, setting down another bag full of snacks on his seat. “Are we visiting the family really quick?”

Makenna tossed her wallet back in the car and snorted. “No, we’re just stopping for food. Or if we’re not hungry, I’ll just pass through.”

“You can’t avoid them forever,” he said.

“I know,” she agreed. “But I don’t have to see them now.” She closed the driver’s side door. If he wasn’t going to use the restroom then she would go now while he sat in the car. The station was empty enough that she didn’t have to move the van.

The one stall in the bathroom was painted an ugly puke green that had faded and cracked over time. She slid the lock into place. Graffiti tagged the walls around her. Phone numbers, bathroom poetry, and crude drawings made her chuckle. But one caught her eye. THE HORROR WILL KNOW YOU WHEN YOU ARE NEAR. She tilted her head, staring at the words. It wasn’t poetic. Creepy more than anything. Yet, she felt unsettled. Shaking her head, Makenna finished her business and exited the stall to wash her hands. A square patch of paint above the sink didn’t match the rest. There was probably a mirror there once.

Dorian was sitting in the passenger seat, sipping his gas station coffee when she got back in the van. “Ready?” she asked, buckling herself in.

He nodded, taking another sip and leaning back into his seat. Makenna pulled out of the gas station and onto the empty road once again. They were quiet at first, just listening to the playlist Dorian had made. But eventually, Dorian cleared his throat and turned to her. “So why are we going to the Storm Coast?” he asked.

“We’re meeting Bull and Raina there,” Makenna answered. “Raina was visiting her family in the Free Marches and Bull was doing some work there. It was just easier to go there first and we’ll work our way back.”

“Right…” Dorian trailed off. “But why are we staying there for a day?” he asked. “The Storm Coast isn’t exactly known for its haunted locales.”

“Well,” Makenna drew out the word making Dorian raise an eyebrow. “We’re going to visit the caves.”

“The caves,” he repeated. “The caves aren’t open to the public.”

“I know,” she answered, not looking at him.

“If they catch us going into the caves, they could fine us,” he said.

Makenna nodded. “I know.”

Dorian sighed. “Why do you always rope me into illegal shit?” he asked, but the question was purely rhetorical.

“Because you like the thrill of adventure,” Makenna answered anyway.

“Out and out crime is not that adventurous,” Dorian said. “And my father will have a fit if I’m arrested in Southern Thedas.”

“Since when did you care about impressing your father?” Makenna asked.

“Since I found out he’s dying.” Dorian’s response was nonchalant, but Makenna knew better.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered.

Dorian heaved a sigh. “Because I didn’t want anyone to pity me during this trip. And because I didn’t want you to try and convince me to go back home and spend more time with him.”

“How much time does he have left?” she asked.

“Months,” Dorian answered, staring out the window at the dark clouds approaching. “I was going to cancel, but father told me not to. Said that there would still be plenty of time when I returned. Besides, who would look after you if I didn’t come?” He smirked, but the humor wasn’t there.

“Dorian—”

“Don’t tell the others,” Dorian cut her off. “I really want to enjoy this trip.”

Makenna’s hands tightened on the wheel, but she nodded. If she had known she wouldn’t have asked him to come on the trip at all. That’s probably why he didn’t tell her. This trip was a distraction. A time where he wouldn’t have to think about what was coming. A short break. She just hoped he wouldn’t regret giving up this time. All she could do was make it the best damn ghost hunting trip ever.

They stopped in Haven for lunch, making sure not to linger. Makenna hadn’t told her mother about being anywhere near Haven. She didn’t want to get roped into making a stop. A quick hour stop would turn into a day and Makenna didn’t want to lose that time.

Dorian took over driving for the last leg of the trip. It gave Makenna an opportunity to doze off herself. And when she dreamed, she dreamed of the long hallway again. There was something at the end. Just out of her reach. It called to her. She needed to know what it was. If it was anything at all.

The rumblings of the sky woke her. They were just driving into the Storm Coast. Makenna yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her until her back popped. The windshield wipers wicked the droplets of rain away. The Storm Coast was always depressing. It was nearly always raining, and it when it wasn’t, it was dark and grey. She didn’t know how Bull could work here for the whole summer.

Makenna unclipped her phone from the vent and opened her messages. Bull and Raina should already be waiting for them. They had agreed to meet at a local restaurant since Makenna was the only one with the rental information. Makenna figured it would be fine since she knew she and Dorian would be reaching the coast around dinner time.

“I bet Bull picked a steakhouse,” Dorian commented after Makenna told him they were meeting the others at a restaurant.

“Sushi, actually,” Makenna responded, opened the mirror on the visor to fix her hair. “It’s like he knew it’s your favorite.” She grinned, flashing her teeth in the mirror.

“You told him, didn’t you,” Dorian accused, his eyes narrowed.

She gestured at herself. “Me? I would never,” she said, laughing.

“Why are you trying so hard to set us up?” Dorian asked.

“Because I remember how good he made you feel. And I saw how you lit up when I told you he was coming. Not to mention when I asked him to come, he told me no, until I told him you were coming too,” she answered, closing the visor. “Look, maybe nothing will come of it. But you two really dig each other. Why not give it a shot?”

He sighed. “Dating advice from the woman who won’t even break off her engagement.”

Makenna winced. “Ouch.”

“Sorry,” Dorian murmured. “I know you mean well. And I do like Bull. I just don’t think it would work. We’re too different.”

Spotting the restaurant, Dorian pulled into the parking lot. It was small place that was tucked away in an old strip mall. There was a jewelry store on one side and an empty unit on the other side. There were only two other cars in the parking lot. The Storm Coast wasn’t exactly booming. Most people just stopped when they were passing through. The only thing it had going for it, was it was a port and had historical landmarks. Only open to the public for guided tours. But that wasn’t what Makenna was looking for. She just hoped they wouldn’t get caught.

Makenna unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her wallet and phone. She tucked them into the pockets of her shorts. “Nothing has to happen,” she said, making Dorian pause as he was turning off the van. “I just want you to enjoy yourself.”

“I know,” he said, handing her the keys. “Let’s go. I’m famished.”

Makenna spotted Bull and Raina sitting at a table already, and she waved while closing the door to the van. Dorian was right beside her as they jogged through the rain to the eaves. Thankfully, the rain wasn’t coming down too hard. But the damp still clung to her skin and made her shiver. It wasn’t much warmer in the restaurant.

“You made it!” Raina stood up and pulled Makenna into a hug.

Bull and Dorian regarded each other quietly, the electricity already crackling between them, before Dorian pulled out a chair and sat down. Dorian could nay-say all he liked, there was something there.

“How was the trip?” Bull asked while Makenna sat down in between Raina and Dorian.

“Smooth,” she answered. “Hope we didn’t keep you guys waiting too long.”

Raina shook her head. “I only arrived an hour ago. We just got to the restaurant ten minutes ago.”

The conversation paused long enough for a waitress to come over and take their order. They ordered several appetizers and rolls to share with each other. Makenna also ordered a pot of tea. She needed something to take the chill off.

“So what are we doing in the Storm Coast?” Raina asked.

Before Makenna could answer, Dorian did. “The caves.”

“The caves?” Raina asked. “But—”

The waitress came back with the tea and Raina waited for her to leave again before she leaned closer to Makenna. “That’s illegal,” she hissed.

“That’s what I said,” Dorian agreed.

“I know,” Makenna said, rolling her eyes. “We’re going to trespass tomorrow night, and we’ll be careful.”

“Makenna!” Raina sat back. “I really wish you would have warned us first.”

Makenna nodded. “I know, I know. And if you really don’t want to, then we’ll skip it. Maybe there’s something else around here.”

Raina sighed.

“I’m game,” Bull said. He raised his cup of tea—hilariously small in his large hand—and grinned at Makenna. “To crime.”

Dorian scoffed but raised his cup. “This is a bad idea.”

“And if we get caught it's your fault,” Raina said.

Makenna held her cup up. “To crime then.” The tea scalded her tongue.

They were the only customers in the restaurant that night, but they livened the place up. Bull and Makenna moved from tea to slamming back a few shots of rum. Raina moved to beer, and Dorian stayed sober so he could drive them to the rental later. Two hours and a generous tip later, they left the restaurant. Raina had to run back inside to grab her bag from underneath the table. Bull didn’t forget his and shoved it in the back of the van.

The rental was only ten minutes from the restaurant. It was a small two-bedroom, two-bath cottage. Makenna was surprised she was even able to find a rental like this on the coast. It wasn’t exactly a prime tourist location. And it was cute. The outdoor floodlight illuminated the faint blue siding and picture windows. The porch had a small bench and rocking chair in front of the windows. Bull, Dorian, and Raina grabbed the bags while Makenna ran up to the door. She opened her e-mail to get the code for the keyholder beside the door. It opened and she fished the keys out to unlock the door.

They piled inside to get out of the rain and Dorian used the key fob to lock the van. Raina found the light switch first and clicked it on, illuminating the living room and kitchen area. It was the perfect size for two nights. Although with Bull, it felt so much smaller. The kitchen looked rustic, but like someone used a modern color swatch. It didn’t quite work. The furniture reminded her of the furniture her grandmother used to have. In that way, it was comforting.

Makenna yawned, ready to go to sleep. She kicked off her shoes in the entryway so she didn’t track anything through the house.

“Are we sharing?” Raina asked Makenna, earning a nod.

“I think I’m going to shower first,” Dorian said. “I’ve been stuck in a car all day.”

“Good idea,” Makenna murmured, grabbing her bag. “You and Bull get one bathroom and we get the other.”

She checked to make sure the front door was locked before they dispersed to their rooms. Makenna poked her head into the closest room. Powder blue wallpaper with flowers branching across the walls greeted her. She shrugged. It was good enough. She dropped her bag on one side of the queen-size bed. Raina followed her, claiming the other side of the bed.

The guys were right across the hall. She looked out her door and saw the forest green walls of their room. She didn’t know which was worse.

“Do you want to shower first?” Raina asked.

Makenna shook her head. “You go ahead. Then I’ll get mine.” She pulled her wet tank top over her head and draped it over a chair in the corner of the room. Her shorts followed and she laid them on the seat so they would dry. The sound of both showers turning on filled the house. Makenna flopped down on the bed in her undergarments. It was just until Raina was done. Then she would get back up.

But her eyes felt heavy and she was having a hard time keeping them open. The long day had finally caught up to her. Staying awake was futile. She didn’t even hear the sound of the shower turning off. By the time Raina entered the room and chuckled at her friend sprawled out on the bed, Makenna was out.

And for the first night in a while, she didn’t dream.


	2. Disappointment

The smell of coffee woke her. Makenna blinked, taking a moment to take in her surroundings. Namely, the ugly blue wallpaper that was beginning to peel beside the window. The sheer drapes did little to shield the room from the brightness of the morning. Although she could tell it was still gray outside.

Raina stirred behind her, rolling over and tugging on the blankets. “What time is it?” she mumbled.

Makenna reached for her phone on the nightstand and touched the screen. “Nine.” She put the phone back on the stand and rolled onto her back. She didn’t even remember falling asleep. But she knew she didn’t even make it into the shower last night. As much as she wanted coffee, she wanted a shower first. Groaning, she pushed herself up on her elbows.

“What time are we going to the caves?” Raina asked as Makenna was getting out of bed.

Makenna stifled a yawn, unzipping her suitcase to grab a change of clothes and her toiletry bag. “We can’t go until it’s dark.”

Raina shoved the blankets off and sat up. “What are we going to do until then?”

Makenna shrugged. “Hang out, I guess. I don’t think there’s much to do around here.”

“Sounds good to me,” Raina answered, getting out of bed. “I haven’t been able to relax all summer. Deshanna’s kept me busy.”

“Oh?” Makenna paused in the doorway. “Is it because she named you First?”

Raina shook her head. “She hasn’t named anyone yet.” She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “But I’m hoping she will soon. The wait is…a lot.”

“I’m sure she will,” Makenna reassured her. “Deshanna relies on you. I can’t imagine her naming anyone else.”

Raina flashed her a small smile. “Thanks.”

Makenna left the room so Raina could change while she made her way to the bathroom. She could hear Dorian and Bull in the kitchen. How long had they been awake? She hoped having them room together hadn’t blown up in her face, but she didn’t hear any sounds of discord. In fact, she paused right before entering the bathroom to listen to Dorian’s muffled laughter. Suppressing a pleased smile, she turned on the light and closed the bathroom door behind her. The lime green floor tile made her grimace. There was no accounting for taste here.

She set her clothes down on the edge of the counter before she turned on the shower. While the water was warming up Makenna stripped off her undergarments and left them in a pile on the floor. The place had a laundry area, maybe she would be able to do a quick load before they left tomorrow morning. It was a better idea than carrying around dirty clothes.

Makenna fixed her hair so it was piled on top of her head. There was no reason to wash it this morning. With the water warmed, she stepped into the shower and sighed. It felt heavenly against her skin. She breathed in the steam hoping it would help wake her up. But what the shower couldn’t achieve, coffee would.

Turning off the water, she opened the curtain and reached for a clean towel. Makenna stepped out of the shower and onto a bathmat, wrapping the towel around herself. The room was filled with steam from the hot shower. She walked to the counter, carefully so she didn’t slip, and reached for her clothes. But something stopped her. Looking up, she stared at the mirror. It was steamed over, but right in the middle, were two words written in the steam.

COME HOME

Beads of condensation dripped from the words making them seem more ominous than they already did. It had to be a prank. They were on a trip to chase ghosts and they were trying to mess with her. Probably payback for her not telling them that they were going to trespass on private property. Makenna dropped the towel and pulled on her clothes, shorts and a tank top, and opened the door. Leaving the door open, she made her way down the hall to the kitchen.

They were sitting at the small round dining table in the kitchen. There were four cups of steaming coffee on the table, one was hers and sitting in front of an empty chair. Takeout containers were spread across the table. Bull and Dorian had been up early enough to grab breakfast.

“Morning,” Dorian said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Makenna rested her hands on her hips. “Which one of you was it?” she asked.

Dorian set down his cup. “What?”

“The writing on the mirror,” she said. “I mean whatever it’s funny, but I’d appreciate it if you all wouldn’t prank me on this trip. I need actual evidence.”

They all looked confused. “No one went into the bathroom,” Dorian said. “Raina came out and we’ve all been sitting in here.”

Makenna looked at Raina who held her hands up. “I got dressed and came for coffee. I didn’t go in there.”

“Well it didn’t just appear out of nowhere,” Makenna argued.

Dorian stood up. “Show me.”

One of them was really good at acting innocent. Unless they were all in on it. But she didn’t understand why any of them wouldn’t fess up to it. It wasn’t like either of them to keep something going until it wasn’t funny anymore.

Dorian followed her down the hallway and into the bathroom. But the mirror was free of steam and words. Makenna just stared at it. Of fucking course. She pointed to the mirror. “I swear it was there,” she said.

Dorian sighed. “Maybe you’re just not awake enough.” He leaned against the door frame. “But I promise you, none of us wrote on the mirror.”

Makenna scrubbed her hand down her face. She saw the words clearly. But she believed him. They wouldn’t let a joke go on for this long. Especially not when it made her question what she had seen.

“Are you okay?” Dorian asked.

Makenna nodded. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right. I need that coffee.”

Dorian squeezed her shoulder. She turned off the light in the bathroom and gave one last lingering look to the mirror. Despite the lack of evidence, she didn’t think she imagined it. But she also didn’t want to think about what it could really be. Could it be tied to her dreams? Where was home? Haven? Or was it something else? Makenna had more questions than answers.

For a moment, she second-guessed the trip. Maybe this was something she should leave alone. And maybe this was something she shouldn’t drag her friends into. What if it became dangerous?

But a part of her knew, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, it wasn’t going to leave her alone.

Even though it got dark early on the Storm Coast, they still waited until ten before they left the rental and piled into the van. Makenna was driving this time. The equipment was still in the back. Although since they were sneaking in, they could only take so much. There was no way to set up cameras here, so everything they took would have to be portable and easy to carry. Makenna parked in the back parking lot of an overnight diner. It meant they would still have to walk down to the beach and to the caves, but their intentions might be discovered if Makenna parked at the beach.

She pulled some of the smaller cameras as well as the EVP equipment and placed it in a backpack. It would have to do. Since it was bound to be dark in the caves, she grabbed several flashlights and the walkie talkies. She wanted everyone to keep in contact at all times. The caves were closed off after dark because they could be treacherous.

It wasn’t raining, but the sky rumbled ominously overhead. The sound followed them as they trudged down to the sandy and rocky shores. Old Dwarven ruins and statues jutted out from the cliffs and some even emerged from the roiling waters. The structures had held up well over time. The caves they were going to contained remnants of Dwarven ruins inside. Some more intact than others. Makenna had spent a lot of time poring over the website for the historical locales before deciding on a cave.

The one she had picked was the oldest. Hopefully, it meant it was more likely to be haunted. Some guests had reported sounds, cold spots, and ghostly touches. Makenna hoped they weren’t lying. Otherwise, this stop was for nothing.

Waves pounded against the shore. This beach wasn’t for swimming. Not with the way the Waking Sea battered the coast. It was always turbulent.

They stopped right outside of the caves and Makenna distributed the flashlights and walkies. She and Raina would pair off while Bull and Dorian made up their own team. It was safer to stay in pairs. “Ready?” she asked.

“Not really,” Raina murmured, staring into the inky darkness of the caves.

“If you really don’t want to do this, we won’t,” Makenna said, giving them one last out.

“We’re already here,” Dorian answered. “Let’s go.”

Makenna turned and walked into the cave first, switching on her flashlight. It did little to illuminate the darkness, but at least she had some idea of where she was going.

“Hope there are no spiders,” Bull pipped up from right behind her.

They all stopped to stare at him.

“What?” he shrugged.

“Thanks, Bull,” the sarcasm rolling off her tongue. “I definitely wasn’t worried about spiders until you had to mention them.”

“I’m just saying, better to be prepared than to have one of those big suckers sneak up on you.”

“Can I change my mind now?” Raina asked.

Makenna sighed. “Are we doing this or not?”

“Alright, alright,” Dorian said. “Let’s get this over with. What are we supposed to be doing anyway?”

“There are two major rooms that branch off from this cavern. Raina and I are taking one and you two can take the other. Record the room, any noises you hear or weird sensations. Also, if you feel comfortable, do some EVP. I won’t be able to listen to it until we get back, but we might be able to get some audio.” Makenna swung her flashlight around the cavern until she located one of the rooms. “And there are fresh batteries in the backpacks if you need them.”

“How long are we doing this for?” Bull asked.

“Just a few hours,” Makenna answered. “Unless something happens, or you guys get spooked.”

“Fantastic,” Dorian muttered. “I’ll be surprised if none of us get sick.”

Makenna rolled her eyes. “Ready?” she asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” Dorian answered.

Makenna and Raina chose the room on the right, while Bull and Dorian branched off to the left. The stone opening was narrow. Then again, it wasn’t really meant for humans. Poor Bull would barely fit as a Qunari.

It was damp inside the room. The kind of damp that seeped deep into one’s bones and just sat there. She was thankful she had decided to change into black leggings, a green flannel button-up, and hiking boots before leaving the house. She was still chilly, but not as much as she would’ve been if she had come in shorts.

The thunder was muffled inside the cave. There was a dripping sound that she couldn’t tell was coming from outside or from inside. Her flashlight moved around the room. The light paused on several stone chairs and tables. There was even an old campfire pit in the middle of the room. But it looked like it hadn’t been lit for a long time.

Makenna sat in one of the stone chairs, the cold seeped through her leggings. Maybe Dorian was right. It would be a wonder if none of them got sick after sitting in a damp cave for several hours.

She placed the backpack on her lap and rifled through it for the cameras. Handing on off to Raina, she turned hers on. Before even leaving for the trip she had fiddled with the cameras, doing test runs around her apartment, and familiarizing herself with the settings. They were all ready to go, they just had to be turned on.

Her walkie crackled and Dorian’s voice came over the radio. “I feel _ridiculous_ ,” he said.

Raina snorted, doing a sweep around the room with her camera.

“It’s not that bad,” Makenna said over the walkie.

She could hear him snorting in the other room. “I can think of so many other places I’d rather be. A spa, a sandy beach—”

_With my father._

He didn’t have to say it. The unspoken words made her stomach twist. Was she being selfish in going on with this trip while knowing his father was dying? She should she have sent him back home. Put her foot down even if it made him angry. But she also didn’t want to do this without him. Dorian was her best friend. And she trusted him implicitly.

“At least the other places are much nicer, and warmer,” she offered.

“Thank the divine for that,” Dorian answered before the walkie went quiet again.

Raina sat in the other stone chair a few feet away from Makenna. So far, it was just quiet. All she could hear was the sound of dripping water and the rumble of thunder. No odd noises.

An hour passed with nothing. Makenna and Raina took turns getting up and walking around with the camera. They even did an EVP session, but it felt like they were just talking to air. She heard Bull and Dorian do the same. There was just a whole lot of nothing.

When the hour three rolled around, Makenna just felt disappointed. She really thought there would be something— _anything_ —here, but it was just quiet. There was no activity at all. It was just a waste of time and of her friend’s good faith.

“Anything?” she said over the walkie.

“Nothing,” Bull answered.

Makenna sighed, scrubbing her hand down her face. “Let’s go then. There’s no point in hanging around for nothing.”

She shut off her camera and put it back in the backpack. Maybe when she watched the footage later there would be something, but she didn’t think so. Raina handed over her camera. Using their flashlights, they carefully walked back to the entrance. Bull and Dorian were already waiting by the opening to the cave.

Dorian offered his hand to her help her navigate the damp rocks without slipping. Their fingers intertwined and he gave her a gentle squeeze. Her disappointment was palpable. “There are other places,” he reassured her. “I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“I hope so,” she mumbled. “Otherwise my mother is going to have a huge ‘I told you so’ moment.”

“We should’ve just done this in Tevinter. Everything is haunted,” Dorian chuckled.

Makenna snorted and they walked out of the cave. The rain was coming down now, instantly soaking through her shirt. Kicking up sand, they ran up the hill towards the diner. But instead of going to the car, they veered into the well-lit building. The waitress said nothing about their appearance, but when she went back to grab them a pot of coffee, Makenna heard her tell the cook about “kids going into those damn caves again.”

The coffee was a little old and bitter, but it was warm. It helped soothe how upset she was. The caves were a bust.

Once the rain let up, and they had drained a pot of coffee, they paid and left to go back to the house. Makenna was definitely getting a shower before bed tonight. They kicked off their shoes outside of the door and trudged into the house in their socks. Makenna set the wet backpacks down in the living room. Her laptop was sitting on the coffee table. While Raina and Dorian went to shower first, Makenna kneeled on the floor and plugged in the cameras to download the footage.

Bull stood in the dark kitchen, opening a bag of chips from the snack pile and crunching quietly. “What are you hoping to find exactly?” he finally asked, edging his way into the living room.

Makenna leaned back, watching the green bar on the screen. “Evidence,” she answered.

Bull perched on the edge of the couch. “Of what?”

“That I’m not crazy. That the things I’ve seen and felt and dreamed of my whole life are real and not just figments of my imagination,” she said. “That there are things that happen that just can’t be reasoned away.”

“What if you don’t find anything?”

She sighed. “I don’t know. I really don’t.” When the cameras were done, she unplugged them and pulled out the recorders to do the same thing. She could go through everything later. Right now, she was tired and wet and ready to sleep.

“I don’t know if I believe any of this,” Bull said. “But I know you’re not crazy.”

“Thanks, Bull,” Makenna whispered, leaning her elbows on the table. “I’m glad you’re here. All of you. You guys keep me grounded.”

Bull stood up and patted her on the shoulder. “Get some sleep.” He walked down the hallway just as Dorian was walking back into the living room. As they walked past each other, they shared a look that was all heat. Makenna bit back a grin.

“Almost done?” Dorian asked, sitting down on the couch where Bull had just been.

She nodded, unplugging the recorders. All she had to do was recharge everything and they were good to go for next time. Dorian watched her as she set it all up to charge overnight. She could pack them up in the morning before they left. Closing the laptop, she stood and stretched. Dorian stood up with her and they walked down the hall, flicking the light switch to plunge the living room into darkness.

The bathroom was empty, but the door was open and the light was still on. The message in the mirror was still bothering her. If it wasn’t a prank, could it be something else? Should they have been recording in the house instead of the caves? And what did it mean? Was it for her? Or just an echo?

“You’re going right to bed, right?” Dorian asked.

“After I shower,” she answered, her eyes still focused on the bathroom. “Going to get up early and do laundry first thing.”

Dorian touched her shoulder. “Are you really okay?”

Makenna looked back at him, at the way his eyebrows furrowed in concern. She nodded. “Yeah. Just tired.” She kissed his cheek. “Goodnight Dorian.”

“Goodnight.”

She felt his eyes track her to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, Makenna stared at the mirror, but it was clear. She turned on the shower and stripped. It had been a long day. All she needed was a hot shower and then she would go right to sleep.

_The hallway stretched out in front of her. Sconces were lit on either side of her, but the end of the hallway was nothing more than swirling darkness. Something moved in it. She felt it looking at her. Beckoning her. Makenna took a step toward it. She felt its triumph and she paused. Why was she doing this? She didn’t even know what it was._

_But it was pulling her. It was using her own curiosity to pull her closer. Yet, a voice in her head screamed at her to stop._

_Makenna took another step._

_A hand wrapped around her upper arm, stopping her in her tracks. “You’re getting too close,” a velvety-smooth voice warned her, but when she turned there was no one there. She could still feel the hand on her arm._

_Something in the darkness growled and the sound made her heart race. Whatever it was, it wasn’t friendly. And it wasn’t happy that she was being stopped._

_Another hand cupped her face, but she saw nothing. She couldn’t be imagining it, could she? Lips pressed to her ear. “Wake up,” the voice murmured, the words tugging at her core._

Makenna’s eyes flew open. Her heart was still pounding in her ears. Laying in bed, she half-expected to hear the growling or the voice again, but all she heard were Raina’s soft snores. When she was certain no parts of the dream had followed her, she pulled the sheets up to her chin. The voice was new. And she wanted to hear it again. There was something about it…something new yet familiar. Had she heard it before?

And who did it belong to?


	3. The Dedrick House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Implied child murder, no graphic, but it is mentioned

They left the Storm Coast before noon. The drive to Crestwood would only be a few hours. Makenna sat in the passenger seat with her laptop open on her lap and her earphones plugged in. She took advantage of the time to go over the footage from the night before to be sure there was nothing. But she was having a hard time staying awake.

She never did get back to sleep after that dream. She just laid in the bed beside a snoring Raina, every creak and sound pulling her back to reality every time she felt like she might fall asleep. Finally, she had given up and gotten up to start laundry. She even drove down to the diner to get coffee and breakfast to take back to the house. Everyone was else was just waking up by the time she had returned.

With a frustrated sigh, Makenna closed her laptop. There was absolutely nothing from the night before. It was just a massive waste of time. And it made her fear of finding nothing run that much deeper.

“Anything?” Dorian asked when Makenna pulled out her earphones.

She shook her head. “Not a damn thing.” She slipped her laptop into her bag that was sitting between her feet. “Hopefully, our next place has something.” She glanced back to Bull and Raina who were dozing off in the backseat.

“Where are we going? Another cave?” Dorian glanced at her. “And I’m hoping you say no.”

She chuckled. “A bed and breakfast.”

“Ah, cute and quaint—”

“And haunted,” she interjected.

“Of course it is.” Dorian sighed. “How bad?”

“When I spoke to the owners, they said it was fairly active. So much so that they don’t live there anymore. But they rent it out to people who like staying in haunted houses,” she said, reaching for her tepid cup of coffee. “They were surprised it was so popular.”

“Do you have the owner’s testimony?” he asked. “They could be crooks, you know.”

Makenna shook her head. “I thoroughly researched every location. I know their history, I’ve spoken to the current owners, and I have witness testimonials too.” She took a sip. “I’m no amateur.”

“So what’s the history of the place?” Bull piped up from the backseat, punctuating his question with a yawn.

“Built a couple hundred years ago. Original owner’s child died due to the plague, or so they say, the mother was soon to follow, and the father killed himself. Ever since then the hauntings have been reported and families with children often have the children experience a mysterious illness that clears up the moment they leave,” Makenna said, setting her coffee back into the holder.

“Could be coincidence,” Bull said.

“Could be,” she agreed. “Or could be paranormal. We’re going to see.”

Dorian glanced at Makenna’s phone that sitting in its holder. “Well, we’re about twenty minutes out now. Do you want to stop anywhere first?”

Makenna hummed. “We can stop for lunch. Or we can stop by the grocery store first. The kitchen is fully stocked with utensils so we can cook.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dorian said.

Makenna nodded. “Then we can set up when we get there. We’re putting cameras in both bedrooms, the study, the attic, and the basement.”

“The bedrooms?” Bull asked.

“There’s activity in them,” Makenna answered. She turned to face him and smirked. “But if you decide to keep them on after we’re done, just pull the footage before I do.”

Dorian groaned, his ears turning red, but Bull chuckled. “Between the ghosts and your kidding, I don’t know how I’m going to survive this trip,” Dorian muttered.

They arrived at the bed and breakfast an hour later. The white clapboard made the home look inviting in the sunshine. Brick red shutters matched the front door. A half-circle window was inset the top of the door. The home was three stories, with only a small circle window on the top floor. It must be the attic. Makenna got out of the van and walked up the porch steps to unlock the small locker by the front door that had the keys inside. When she unlocked and pushed open the door, she walked back to the van to help unload.

It took them several trips to take in the groceries, their clothes, and then the equipment. Makenna carried the groceries into the kitchen. It was bigger than the last kitchen and looked older. The dark wood cabinets were offset by the much lighter wood countertops. The only new items in the kitchen were the appliances and the white tile floors. She set the bags down on the countertop and pulled out the things that needed to be refrigerated to put them in the fridge. Everything else could wait.

When she exited the kitchen to help, Bull was setting down the last bag down on the dark wood floors of the foyer. Dorian walked in after him and closed the door.

“Is that everything?” she asked.

They nodded. “Where do you want the equipment?” Bull asked.

“There is fine for now,” she said. “But we can go upstairs and pick our rooms before making lunch.”

They grabbed their bags and headed up the narrow staircase to the second floor. There was a master bedroom with an en suite and another bedroom and bathroom. Makenna looked up and spied the hatch on the ceiling that opened to the attic. The string hung down, dangling in front of her.

“Why don’t you take the master,” she told Bull and Dorian. It was the least she could do after dragging them along on this trip. And it had the bigger bed, so Bull would have an easier time sleeping.

“Are you sure?” Dorian asked.

Makenna nodded. Her fingers trailed across the dark wood paneling that covered the bottom half of the walls in the hallway. It was the same in the foyer and kitchen. It probably went all throughout the house. The wallpaper on the top half was a deep burgundy and dotted with white flowers. It was beginning to peel in some places. When she thought of haunted houses, this is what came to mind. But the inside was a huge change from the outside. It was like they were two different houses.

She and Raina walked into the other room while Bull and Dorian disappeared into the master. The wallpaper in her room was an emerald green striped with black. The green duvet and pillows on the four-poster bed matched the wallpaper. Makenna set her bag down in front of the wooden vanity dresser; the cherry wood didn’t match the paneling. There was a closet door beside the dresser that was sitting ajar. Makenna opened the door, her eyes darting around the empty closet before she shut the door tight.

Raina left the room first, going back down the stairs. But Makenna took a moment to sit on the edge of the bed. She was tired. She wanted to nap, but she needed to set up the cameras first. And Dorian would pitch a fit if she didn’t eat. Gathering her motivation, she pushed up from the bed and wandered back into the hallway. She could already hear Dorian and Raina moving around in the kitchen.

Pausing in the hallway, she reached up to grasp the pull-cord of the attic. She tugged the cord and opened the panel. A ladder slid down and she grasped the bottom rung to pull it out all the way. Makenna stepped on the bottom rung, peering into the darkness.

“See anything?” Bull’s voice made her jump.

“No,” she answered, turning to look at him. “But I haven’t gone up there yet.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“An engraved invitation,” she mumbled, climbing up the ladder until she could poke her head into the attic.

The window in the attic offered a small parcel of light into the room. It was mostly filled with old furniture, a few boxes, and a layer of dust. Makenna frowned, although she wasn’t sure what it was she was hoping for exactly. A spirit to pop out from behind an old chair and yell “Boo!” or a spirit orb to whiz around the room? She stepped back down the ladder.

“Well?” Bull asked.

She shook her head. “Just some old furniture. I’ll put a camera up there later.” She stepped back, leaving the ladder down since she would back up after lunch.

Bull followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen where Raina was cutting up tomatoes and onion, while Dorian was cooking patties in the skillet. The smoky smell made her stomach rumble. “Finally,” he said when the two entered the kitchen. “I was beginning to wonder what was taking you so long.”

“Checking out the attic,” Makenna said, leaning on the counter beside him. “What are you making?”

“Burgers,” he answered, gesturing for the salt. “Anything good in the attic?”

“Dust bunnies and antiques,” she said, turning to grab the saltshaker and handing it to him.

“I suppose the ghosts wouldn’t be that easy to find,” he teased, flipping the burgers.

“I suppose not,” she echoed, pushing herself off of the counter.

Bull was grabbing plates and setting them on the table, while Raina was taking the cut-up veggies to the table. Makenna opened the fridge to grab the containers of potato salad and macaroni salad they had snagged from the deli. While Dorian cooked, they set up the table with condiments and sides and drinks. Minutes later and they were sitting around the table, filling their plates with food.

It was quiet as they passed around the sides—Makenna passed on the macaroni because she hated cold pasta salads—and scooped potato salad onto her plate before adding a handful of BBQ chips Bull had opened. She grabbed the ketchup and mustard to add to her burger along with pickles, tomato, lettuce, and onion.

“What time are we starting tonight?” Raina asked right as Makenna was biting into her burger.

She hummed while chewing, waiting until she was done to answer. “The owners said it usually starts in the evening. There will be noises and shadows. They said it peaks after midnight and then tapers off.”

“So an all-night affair,” Dorian said, sighing heavily.

She nodded. “The cameras are going to do a lot of the work here. We’ll interact some and explore, but I don’t want to taint what already happens here.” She took another bite of her burger.

“So we’re just going to hang out basically.” Bull leaned back, the wooden chair creaking underneath his bulk.

“Basically,” she confirmed.

“We could watch a movie,” Dorian suggested. “I wonder if the ghosts like musicals.”

They all laughed. Makenna was glad they were here with her. She didn’t know if she would have the courage to do all of this alone. And she definitely knew she wouldn’t be laughing in the face of ghosts if she were by herself.

The four of them cleaned up the kitchen together. Bull and Dorian wrapped up the leftovers and put them in the fridge. Makenna and Raina cleared the table and washed the dishes. Makenna washed while Raina rinsed and set them in the dishrack. She saved the skillet for last, scouring it with a scrubbing pad and putting it back on the stovetop on low heat to dry.

With the kitchen cleaned, they began to unpack the equipment. Makenna carefully pulled out the tripods and unfolded them. She had six which was just enough. The first one she set up in the downstairs hallway. It would catch anything that moved between rooms. Dorian placed one of the cameras on top. Each camera had a set of batteries, but they also had electrical cords that could be plugged in. If they lost power, the batteries would keep the batteries running for at least six hours.

“This shit must’ve cost you a fortune,” Bull commented.

“The perks of being from an affluent family I guess,” she said. “And an eccentric aunt that believes me.”

“Rich kids,” Bull grunted.

Dorian glared at him for a moment, but Makenna just laughed. “You’re not wrong.” She still heaved a sigh. “But this is the first time I’ve tapped into it.”

“What about school?” he asked.

“Paid for most of it myself,” she said. “I worked in high school to save up, worked during college, and during this program I was able to teach undergrad classes and that covered some of my Master’s.”

“Why didn’t you let your folks pay?”

She shrugged. “If I had I would’ve had to go to the school they picked and completed the degree they wanted. I didn’t want to do that.”

“Let me guess, a business degree,” he chuckled.

“That’s the one,” she confirmed.

“I hate to interrupt, but where exactly are we putting the other ones?” Dorian asked, gesturing to the tripods.

“Most are going upstairs, but one is going in the basement.” She grabbed one and the bag with the cameras, while the others grabbed one tripod each, and Makenna led them upstairs. But when they reached the second-floor landing, she stopped in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Dorian asked, running into her back.

Bull stopped right beside her. He noticed what was wrong too. They were the only two that would. Makenna wasn’t sure where she had wanted to face the cameras, but she knew now.

“We left the attic open,” Bull muttered.

“What?” Dorian asked, looking at Bull like he hadn’t heard him.

“We left the attic open before we came downstairs,” Makenna repeated, excitement edging into her voice. “But it’s closed.”

“Maybe it’s supposed to close or maybe you didn’t have it open all the way,” Dorian said.

Makenna shook her head. “It’s too heavy. There’s no way it could’ve closed on its own.” She set the tripod beside the top of the stairs, against the wall. Grabbing one of the cameras from the bag she set it up on top of the tripod and plugged it in.

Bull grabbed the cord this time to pull down the ladder. Makenna climbed to the top of the ladder and Bull handed the tripod he was carrying up to her.

The dust on the floor was disturbed as she stepped into the small space. There weren’t any outlets up there. She leaned over the opening. “I need an extension cord. There should be one in the equipment bags.”

“I’ll get it,” Raina said, setting down the tripod she was carrying.

Makenna turned back and carefully stepped towards the window. She didn’t know if any of the boards were rotten or weak and she didn’t want to find out the hard way. Edging past the furniture, she set the tripod in front of the window and faced the camera towards the opening. The ladder creaked, and Makenna saw Raina’s head poke through the entrance. She held up the end of an extension cord and Makenna retraced her steps to grab it.

Her boots left prints in the dust, showing how many trips she had made back and forth until she was satisfied with the camera setup. The dust in the air made her wrinkle her nose. But she was finally done. Makenna made her way back down the ladder. It wasn’t until her feet touched the floor again that she sneezed.

“Should we close it?” Dorian asked.

“No, I think we’re going to leave it open,” Makenna said. “And if it closes again, we’ll see it from two angles.” She grinned. She couldn’t hide her giddiness. They might actually have something here. She pointed to his tripod. “That one goes in your room. Set it up in the corner and try to get as much of the room as you can in the shot. And definitely include the door.”

Dorian nodded. “Got it,” he said. He walked down the hall into his room and Bull followed.

Makenna and Raina walked into their room. When they entered, her eyes strayed to the closet and she noticed it was open again. She knew for a fact that she had shut it. Directing Raina to set the tripod in the corner, Makenna made sure it was facing both the bedroom door and the closet door. She adjusted the angle while Raina plugged in the camera.

Satisfied with the setup, she walked over to the master bedroom to check the camera setup. It was in a corner and it would capture the door as well most of the room. Raina lingered in the hallway behind her.

“What do we do now?” she asked.

“We wait,” Makenna said. “Activity should start closer to nighttime.”

“There’s a TV downstairs,” Bull said. “We can find something to watch to kill time.”

Makenna nodded along with that idea but stifled a yawn behind her fist. Dorian leaned on the doorframe beside her. “Why don’t you rest?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“You’re exhausted,” Dorian rebutted. “And bad at hiding it. There’s nothing to do until later anyway.”

“Are you sure?” 

“We’ll wake you for dinner,” Raina said. “Just go lay down.”

With a nod and a heartfelt sigh, she pushed off of the doorframe and turned back to her own room. The closet door was still closed this time. Makenna walked around the bed to the side closest to the window. She drew the curtains closed to darken the room. Dorian poked his head in and watched her pull back the heavy quilted blanket down to the bottom of the bed. “I’m going, I’m going,” she teased while sliding under the covers.

He turned off the light. “Get some sleep.”

“Wake me if the ghosts start early,” she said as he pulled the door partially closed.

She heard his laugh in the hallway. After a few minutes, she heard all three of them descend to the first floor, leaving her all alone. The second floor was quiet. She could barely hear the others downstairs. After having lived in an apartment building for years, a quiet house was jarring. She curled up on her side and pulled the sheets up to her chin. It took her a few minutes, but she managed to doze off.

_I can’t take this anymore._

_You? Why is everything always about you?_

_She’s a burden._

_She’s our child!_

_She is no child of mine. I will not let her torment this family any longer._

_What are you doing? What are you—No—put it down please—NO!_

_BANG!_

Makenna shot upright. Her heart raced in her chest, thudding against her sternum so hard she thought it might crack. Her lungs burned with the effort of her labored breathing. The words, the sounds, echoed in her head. What was it? An auditory hallucination? It wasn’t uncommon for her to get them when she was really tired. But it sounded real. Like the conversation was happening with her right in the room.

Her eyes darted around the darkened room. They landed on the closet door. It was fully open. Was it the source of the noise? Makenna kicked off the sheets and stood up from the bed. Where the room had been moderately warm before, it was freezing now. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso. As she neared the door, she saw the handle to the closet door was embedded in the wall. It had been opened with a lot of force. And it would’ve been loud. She wondered why no one else had come up to investigate. Surely they would’ve heard it?

Reaching into the closet, she pulled the string for the light. It clicked on and illuminated the empty closet. Makenna frowned. What was so special about a closet?

She stepped inside, looking around the empty shelves. Doing a full turn, she looked over everything again in the hopes that she was missing something. But she was disappointed. Shaking her head, she turned to leave. A board squeaked under her foot. Makenna looked down.

The board looked out of place. While all the other boards were flush against each other, this one wasn’t. Makenna put pressure on it until it squeaked again. Crouching down, she stuck her fingers as far into the gap as she could and tried to pry the board off. At first, it didn’t give at all, and she wondered what in the hell she was doing. But after a third tug, the end popped up and she was able to lift it off.

A small laugh escaped her throat. Unbelievable. There was a small box hidden under the board. Makenna lifted it out of the space. It was a small silver filigree box that had been tarnished with age. And covered in a thin layer of dust. Makenna wanted to open it, but she wanted to show the others first. Replacing the board, she stood and exited the closet, turning off the light.

The room wasn’t as cold now. It was too bad she didn’t have a thermal camera. She could’ve registered the drop in temperature. But they were too pricey even with the loan her aunt had given her.

Makenna walked down the stairs, hearing the others in the kitchen. The sweet and spicy aroma wafting from the room made her stomach rumble. When she reached the first floor she veered off into the kitchen and saw them in the middle of cooking dinner. Dorian was at the stove again, Bull was right beside him slicing bread, and Raina was at the counter beside the fridge making a salad out of the leftover veggies.

Dorian saw her first. “How did you sleep…what is that?” he asked, pointing at the box with the spatula in his hand.

The other two looked over at her. “I found it in the closet,” she said, holding it carefully in her hands.

Dorian nodded. “Right…put it back,” he ordered.

“What?”

“I’ve seen too many horror movies with you. I know where this is going. Opening that box is the worst idea and I vote we don’t,” he said, waving the spatula for emphasis.

Makenna rolled her eyes. “Those are movies, Dorian. I doubt anything bad is going to happen.

“I adore you, Makenna, but you don’t have great judgment,” he shot back.

“It’s a box,” Iron Bull piped up. “And it looks like a valuables box. That’s probably all it is.”

“Thank you, Bull—”

“Oh, great. Taking her side. Awesome,” Dorian muttered, turning back to the skillet. “Open it all you wish, but I will have no part of it.”

Makenna walked over to the table and set it down. Bull walked over to sit next to her, having sliced all the bread. And he was also more interested in the box. Raina stayed where she was and was watching, Dorian was pretending not to look, but he had his head turned slightly to see out of the corner of his eye. Makenna smirked.

Carefully, she searched for the seam before lifting up the lid. It was heavy and the hinges creaked. She winced at the sound. The inside of the box was lined with a dark red velvet that was torn and also looked a little moldy in spots. Probably from trapped moisture.

She picked up the picture that was on top and brushed the layer of dust of the glass. “Oh,” she whispered when she realized what she was staring at.

“What?” Dorian asked, turning towards her.

Makenna handed the picture over to Iron Bull. “Oh shit,” he said, staring at it. “Are they…?”

Makenna nodded.

“What, what?” Dorian asked again.

She cleared her throat. “It’s a Memento Mori photograph,” she said. “I think it may be of the first owner’s daughter, but I’m not sure.” She looked down into the box. There was a small pair of shoes, tiny shoes with bows on the top. They might’ve been white once, but they were yellowed with age. Beside that was a small silver necklace with a stylized sun pendant. It probably symbolized the Chantry.

“It’s a keepsake box,” she murmured. “A common practice after losing a child.”

“Please put it back, Makenna,” Dorian whispered.

“Didn’t you say the child died from plague?” Bull asked.

“Yeah.”

He leaned closer and pointed at a spot on the photograph. “This headband they’re wearing. It looks like it’s covering up something.”

Makenna leaned closer, staring intently at the photograph. Immediately, she saw what Bull was talking about. A headband with a large flower was covering most of their forehead. But there was a shadow of something peeking out from the top of the headband. Makenna thought back to the voices she heard right before she woke. And the banging noise.

“A gunshot wound,” she mumbled.

_BANG!_

All four of them jumped at the crashing sound that came from the upstairs.

Dorian stared at the ceiling, his eyes wide. “I hate to say it—”

“Don’t,” Makenna warned.

“I told you so.”


	4. Activity

Dinner was a quiet affair.

Dorian was silently simmering during the whole meal, and no one—least of all Makenna—wanted to say the wrong thing. He was pissed about the box. But Makenna didn’t think she was wrong in opening it. If it were the wrong thing to do, why would they lead her right to it? Yet, Dorian wouldn’t believe it. She doubted any of them would. So she quietly chewed her chicken.

Another door slammed upstairs making them jump. She wanted to go look, but anytime she even glanced upstairs, Dorian glared at her. Good thing the cameras were on. They would catch the activity.

“We forgot to put a camera in the basement,” Bull broke the silence.

“I can do it after dinner,” Makenna answered, keeping her voice low.

“Hopefully there won’t be anymore boxes for you to open,” Dorian muttered, taking a sip of his wine and decidedly not looking at her.

She sighed. “Are you going to do this the whole night? Hell, the whole trip?” she asked. “I mean you knew we were coming here to document hauntings, but you’re mad that there is one?”

“I’m not mad that this house is haunted, Makenna. I’m mad that you rush into things without thinking about the consequences,” he said. “One day you’re going to open the wrong box and you won’t be able to put its contents back in.”

“If I wanted a lecture, I would’ve just gone to my mother’s,” she grumbled.

Dorian set down his glass. “Let me ask you something, Makenna. Do you think if you shove all of this evidence you’re gathering in your mother’s face, that she will believe you?”

“Dorian!” Raina hissed.

Makenna tossed her fork down on her half-empty plate. The metal clattered against the ceramic. The sound was sharp like the anger that welled in her stomach. An equally biting retort was on the tip of her tongue, but it was a low blow even for her. She swallowed it back down. “I’m going to set up the last camera,” she said, her jaw clenched tight.

She stood up from the table and walked out of the silent kitchen. Grabbing the tripod and the last camera, she walked down the hall to the basement door. The metal knob was cold in her hand. She swung the door open and stared down into the darkness. Reaching in, her fingers traveled against the wall, searching for a light switch. When she found it, she flicked the light on. The yellow bulb in the ceiling flickered a moment.

It did little to illuminate everything, but it was enough for Makenna to safely make her way down the stairs. The basement was dark, a small window at the top of the wall gave the tiniest sliver of evening light. Between that light and the one on the stairs, Makenna set up the tripod at the bottom of the stairs. The stairs creaked behind her and she turned to see Bull coming down.

“Need help?” he asked.

She shrugged, turning back to set the camera on top of the tripod. When Bull reached the bottom of the stairs, she wordlessly handed him the cord to plug the camera in. She adjusted the angle while he searched for an outlet.

“So…” he trailed off.

“Buttons,” she mumbled.

He chuckled. “Are you doing this for your mom? So she’ll believe you?” he asked.

Makenna nodded. “It started that way,” she admitted. “I’ve always been able to see and hear things and every time I told her that she was adamant that I was lying, that I just wanted attention. Eventually, she took me to a therapist and put me on a medication that made me feel like…a zombie. I lasted a year before I started pretending to take them.” Makenna stepped back from the camera. “I just wanted her to believe me. Now I want to prove to myself.”

“That you’re really seeing these things?”

“That maybe there’s a reason I can see these things, I just don’t know it yet.” Makenna made sure the camera was on. “There. All done.”

Bull started up the stairs first but waited for her before going far. Given how dark it was, she was grateful he wasn’t just leaving her behind. The darkness was creepy.

_Makenna_.

The whisper made her pause. She turned to glance back at the darkness. There was nothing. Nothing she could see anyway.

“Coming?” Bull asked.

She nodded. “Yeah.” Makenna turned away from the darkness and followed Bull back up the basement steps. There was no way she was going back down there unless it was during the day. Bull closed the door tight when she exited the stairs. It seemed the basement had creeped him out too. They walked back to the kitchen. The table was cleared with the exception of her plate. When she glanced at it, her stomach rumbled. She was still hungry.

Raina was washing the dishes while Dorian was putting away any leftovers. “Figured you would want to finish eating,” Raina said, nodding to Makenna’s plate.

Makenna sat back down at the table. Picking up her fork, she speared a piece of chicken and popped it in her mouth. Quietly, she finished the food on her plate. The minutes ticked by with the sound of running water and Dorian’s absence of an apology.

“Are you just going to give each other the silent treatment all night?” Bull asked, pulling out the chair beside Makenna and sitting down.

“This is nothing,” Raina said. “You should’ve seen them when they first met. They went between sniping at each other and giving each other the cold shoulder for an entire weekend. Why you ask—”

“We found out we were both seeing the same person,” Makenna cut her off. “He would see Dorian when he went to Tevinter and then see me when he came to Haven.”

“Well that was his fault, not either of yours,” Bull said.

“Try telling that to teenagers,” Makenna said, laughing. “Eventually, we were forced to talk things out and we ended up exposing him.”

“Literally,” Dorian added. “My father was furious when he realized we had changed the slides on the projector to his texts and the pictures he sent us.”

“Not as pissed as his mother, she dragged him out by the ear,” Makenna wheezed.

They devolved into giggles, momentarily forgetting that they were mad at each other, but eventually they fell back into silence. Dorian sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“I know,” Makenna answered.

“What are we going to do with the box?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think finding it was an accident, but I don’t know what I’m meant to do with it.” She shrugged. “If I don’t figure it out, I’ll put it back.”

“So what are we doing first?” Bull asked.

“I’m going to set up in the living room. Make sure all the cameras are recording.” Makenna stood up. “Then we can take turns walking around the house.”

“Want me to make coffee?” Raina asked.

“Yes, please,” Makenna said while leaving the room.

Bull lingered in the kitchen to help Raina while Dorian followed Makenna into the living room. Her laptop bag was sitting on the couch already and she unzipped it while Dorian plopped down on the adjacent loveseat. She also pulled out the folder full of hard copies of her research and testimonials and set it to the side. Setting her laptop down on the coffee table, she opened it and turned it on.

In the minutes it took for her computer to boot up, Raina and Bull walked in with four steaming mugs of coffee. She set Makenna’s down on the coffee table beside the laptop. The light liquid sloshed up to the sides but didn’t spill. When she took a sip, it was creamy and sweet just as she liked it. Raina sat down on the couch and reached for the research folder.

They waited while Makenna pulled up all camera feeds on her laptop. Everything was running great. She could see where the doors upstairs had been slammed shut, but the attic door was still open.

Bull leaned over Raina’s shoulder to look at the pictures Makenna had printed off. Some of them were from news stories, as well as pictures of the old family. “Hey, wait,” he murmured, pointing at a picture. “This is the original family?”

Makenna looked up and Raina turned the picture so she could see. “Yeah.” She nodded.

Bull stood up from the couch and went back to the kitchen. Makenna was confused until Bull came back with the box. He set it on the table and opened it, fishing out the picture. Taking the picture from Raina, he held them side by side and frowned. “The kids aren’t the same,” he said.

“What?” Makenna asked, reaching for the pictures. She frowned when she held them side by side and saw the children in the pictures were two different children.

“Do you think it’s a child from a different family?” Dorian asked.

“Maybe…” Makenna trailed off staring at the pictures. She held the family picture closer to her face, scrutinizing it closely. That’s when she saw it. The mother had a necklace hanging around her neck. It was the same necklace that was in the keepsake box. But that meant…

“They had two children,” Makenna said. “But I found nothing in my research about it. How could this not be in the records?”

“Maybe it wasn’t made a part of the official records. It wasn’t uncommon for parents to hide children they found…unseemly.” He took a sip of his coffee.

Makenna frowned, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “I wonder if we searched the local records would we find an accurate record? Do you think the library is open?”

“It’s late,” Bull said, shaking his head. “I doubt they’re open.”

“Damn,” Makenna muttered.

“What’s the family’s name?” Dorian asked

“Dedrick,” Raina answered, holding up the folder. “Father was August Dedrick, Mother was Matilda, and the child in the family photo is Bernice.”

A second child. Hidden. _Why?_ Maybe she was supposed to find out. Maybe that’s why she found the box in the first place. She just didn’t understand how a second child wouldn’t have come up once in her research. The Dedricks must’ve been meticulous about hiding her.

Makenna sighed. She wouldn’t be able to access the local records until the morning. All that was left to do was stick to the plan and record as much evidence as she could. She stood up, taking another swig of her coffee. “I think someone should be here watching the feed at all times. I’m going to walk around the house first.”

“I’ll go with you,” Raina said, putting all of the paperwork back into the folder and setting it down on the coffee table.

Makenna grabbed an EVP recorder and Raina followed her as she left the room. She didn’t want to go back down to the basement—there was something about it that was putting her off—so she ascended to the second floor. It was eerily quiet upstairs. She decided to leave the hall light off. The window on the stairs behind her, illuminated the hall just enough so she could see. Makenna veered into her and Raina’s shared room first.

With the curtains drawn closed, the room was nearly black. She could barely make out the shapes. Feeling her way to the bed, she perched on the edge. Raina sat down next to Makenna, so close to Makenna that their thighs were squished together. She was nervous, possibly even scared. Makenna couldn’t blame her. This was creepy at best. But nothing in the room felt malevolent to her.

She turned on the recorder and held it in her hands. For a minute she just let it run without speaking. Sometimes spirits didn’t need prompting for them to speak. And whatever was here seemed eager to communicate.

“Is there anyone here?” Makenna finally asked.

Raina was silent beside her. It was unnerving to know that something may be answering, but they wouldn’t know it until they played back the audio. “Do you have a name?” she asked, falling silent again so something could respond.

“Are you Bernice? Or are you the other child?” Raina asked a question this time.

Makenna felt a cold gust of air puff against the back of her neck and she shivered. The room plummeted a few degrees. The hairs on her arm stood up straight and she rubbed her arms, feeling the goosebumps that covered her skin. Raina was shivering beside her.

“Is there—”

“Someone’s here,” Makenna murmured. She looked around the room, but she saw nothing. They weren’t showing themselves. Not yet. “Why did your parents hide you?” she asked. There was no proof she was talking to the other child, but she had a feeling.

BANG!

The sound came from the hallway and Makenna and Raina stood up. The moment the heard the sound, the chill in the room dissipated and she felt nothing. Had they fled? Why? Raina followed Makenna into the hallway, her fingers clutching the back of Makenna’s shirt.

The door to Dorian’s room was wide open where it had been closed before. Makenna stepped closer and stopped. There was something in there. She felt it watching her. And it didn’t feel friendly. It felt…oppressive. Angry. Gathering her courage, Makenna took another step forward. The door wavered. And then she saw it.

It was staring so intently at her.

A shadow, partially hidden by the door. Its fingers curled around the edge of the door. There were no eyes, just empty sockets where eyes should be. And they were focused on her.

“Who are you?” Makenna asked, the recorder still in her hand.

The door slammed shut with such force she thought it would crack. Raina’s fingers dug into her back. “Can we go back downstairs?” she whispered.

Makenna nodded. “Let’s go.”

Raina was the first down the stairs with Makenna right on her heels. This was more activity than she would have expected from a quaint haunted house. But she couldn’t deny her excitement.

Dorian was sitting in front of the laptop, but he didn’t look happy. Makenna didn’t address it as she sat down and plugged in the recorder to pull the audio file.

“I don’t know if I want to sleep here after that,” Dorian remarked.

“The hauntings taper off in a few hours. It should be fine,” Makenna said. “Besides I don’t think it’ll mess with you.”

“You don’t know that,” he muttered.

But she did. They were focusing on her. Spirits always did.

If anyone was in danger, it was her.

The hours ticked by. Every half an hour Makenna would venture upstairs with someone else and attempt to make contact again. But nothing quite as exciting as before happened again. Perhaps there was something on the recorder, but she didn’t see anything else. Each trip was tinged with disappointment by the time she went back downstairs.

The others were getting tired and bored. Not even watching TV was keeping them awake. Even Makenna was stifling yawns behind her hands. She glanced at the clock. It was half-past three.

“I don’t think anything else is going to happen tonight,” Dorian said. “Why don’t we get to sleep.”

Makenna sighed. “I don’t think so either.” She pulled her laptop onto her lap and began to transfer the files she had so far to cloud storage. She didn’t want to lose anything. They could leave the cameras rolling in case there was any activity after they went to bed.

“I’m ready for a nice hot shower,” Raina grumbled, her head resting on Bull’s shoulder.

Bull looked at Dorian. “Me too.”

Makenna saw the tips of Dorian’s ears redden and she stifled her smirk. She wouldn’t be surprised if they had already acted on their desires. She was just surprised she hadn’t heard anything. “I’m going to clean up,” Dorian mumbled, standing up to collect the cups and take them into the kitchen.

When she was done, Makenna closed her laptop and left it on the coffee table. Bull stood and wandered to the front door to make sure it was locked. When the downstairs felt secure, they turned the lights off and trudged upstairs. Surprisingly, the attic door was still open. Dorian shook his head and he walked over to close it.

“There’s no way I’m sleeping with it open,” he said.

Makenna shrugged. “Understandable.”

They lingered in the hallway while Bull closed the attic. Makenna was glad no one would have to sleep alone. But she could tell the others were hesitant. She flicked on the hall light. It couldn’t hurt to leave it on. Especially not if it gave everyone a piece of mind. That seemed to do the trick. Bull and Dorian broke off, walking into their room. They left the door open.

“I’m going to shower,” Raina said. “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

Makenna nodded. “I’ll be fine. Will you?”

Raina grimaced. “I’m a little freaked out to be honest.”

“Why don’t we grab our stuff and stay with each other in the bathroom,” Makenna suggested.

“You don’t mind?”

Makenna shook her head. “I don’t want you to be by yourself and scared.”

Raina sighed in relief. “Thanks.”

Makenna walked in the room first to turn on the light, and they both walked over to their bags to grab a change of clothes and toiletry bags. While Makenna fished her bag out, she watched Raina give the closet a once over before pushing a sitting chair in front of the door. When she realized Makenna was watching her, she shrugged. “I don’t want it to be open when I wake up.”

With a small laugh, Makenna walked back out of the room first and towards the bathroom. She didn’t feel anything. It just felt like a normal house right now. But she knew how quickly that could change.

Raina showered first while Makenna perched on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth, careful not to hit the cabinet with her foot. They kept the door cracked just in case they needed anything or the guys did.

Raina left the water running as she stepped out, grabbing the clean towel on the bar and wrapping it around herself. They switched places so Makenna could be closer to the shower while Raina grabbed another towel to dry her hair.

Shucking off her clothes, Makenna stepped into the clawfoot tub and pulled the curtain closed. The warm water relaxed her. Closing her eyes, she leaned into the spray, letting it wash over her. She sighed. If she could, she would stay in the shower for as long as possible or draw a bath and soak. But the sounds of Raina brushing her teeth and getting dressed hurried Makenna along.

They were in bed ten minutes later. Makenna checked the time on her phone. It was nearing four in the morning. The darkness wasn’t nearly as encompassing with the hall light on and the door wide open. They only had two hours until dawn, but the light would help them fall asleep regardless. It made everything feel less menacing.

Makenna turned on her side, turning her back to Raina and closed her eyes.

_There was someone behind her._

_Her footsteps quickened, carrying her down the hall. Her fingers curled around the doorknob and she pulled the door open. The stairs led down into the darkness. She didn’t want to go, but there was nowhere else to go. He had her cornered._

_The wood creaked under her feet. He would hear her. He would know. But maybe she had enough time. She could get out through the window. Run towards freedom. Towards town. Someone would hear her. Someone would help._

_Something gripped the back of her nightgown. They pulled her back and she fought against them. She stumbled, the steps disappearing from under her feet and she fell. The hand on her nightgown didn’t help her. It let her go; let her fall down to the darkness below._

_Wood slammed into her knee, her hip, her shoulder. She landed in the dirt. It was cool underneath her cheek. Her palms grounded into the dirt and she tried to push herself up. Claws dug into her shoulder making her cry out. They turned her over._

_A shadow loomed over her, having no defining shape. She trembled. It leaned closer, inches away from her face now. Its gaping maw opened, revealing the darkness within. It was going to devour her whole. She waited for the feeling of teeth ripping into her. Of words as sharp as knives to flay her alive._

_It never came._

_She felt them sucking in a deep breath, filling their lungs with the stale air. And then they exhaled._

_An alarm blared from their mouth and she clapped her hands over her ears._

Makenna jolted awake. She could hear the fire alarm screeching upstairs and the sound of footsteps thundering towards the kitchen. _Upstairs?_ The dirt was cool under her cheek. She pushed herself up, her eyes surveying the room. She was in the basement.

Shaking slightly, she stood up, brushing the dirt from her cheek but even her hands were covered with it. She heard someone call her name. It sounded like Dorian and he was close to freaking out. At first, she felt sluggish as she gripped the banister and made her way up the stairs. As she neared the door, she moved faster.

The alarm was still going off, louder once she opened the door. All of the commotion was in the kitchen, but smoke was wafting into the hallway. When she entered the kitchen, she saw Dorian and Raina trying to wave smoke out of open windows. Iron Bull was nowhere to be seen, but a moment later she heard the fire alarm shut off. He must’ve disabled it.

“Where’s—"

Dorian’s panicked shout cut off when he turned and saw her lingering in the doorway. “Where the hell were you?” he asked, frantically trying to get the smoke out.

She shook her head, not wanting to go down that particular road yet. Bull entered the kitchen behind her. He didn’t miss the dirt on her hand, face, and legs. “What happened?” she asked.

“The fire alarm went off,” Bull said. “When we got up to investigate, all of the doors slammed shut and the faucets turned on.”

“At the same time?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Where were you?” Dorian repeated.

“In the basement,” Makenna murmured.

“Why were you in the basement?” Bull asked.

“Seriously,” Raina echoed. “I woke up and you were gone. We were freaked out.”

“Not to mention, you said nothing about fire alarms going off in the early morning,” Dorian said. “You just said cold spots, voices, and maybe shadows, but this is much more.”

“The owners never told me that this would happen,” Makenna argued. “The haunting didn’t seem this severe from their testimony.”

“So they lied,” Dorian said. “I knew it.”

“Maybe, but we’re off track,” Bull interjected before another argument broke out. “Why were you in the basement?”

Makenna swallowed. “I woke up there.” She didn’t mention the dream.

“Were you sleepwalking?” Bull asked.

She shrugged.

They didn’t look convinced. She was afraid if she told them about the dream then they would insist on leaving—Dorian would at least. But she still felt like she was supposed to be doing something. It would be a mistake to leave now.

“Guess we’re not sleeping now,” Dorian mumbled.

“We can still get a few hours,” Makenna said.

“I’m not sleeping in that room,” Raina said.

“We can sleep in the living room. There are enough spaces for everyone,” Bull said. “But first, --he pointed at Makenna— “you need to clean up.”

Makenna nodded. “I’ll be back down.” Of course, Bull followed her upstairs to make sure she wasn’t alone while she grabbed a change of clothes and stepped back into the shower. This shower wasn’t nearly as relaxing. She was jittery. Partly from nerves and partly from excitement. The cameras must’ve caught what happened. She wanted to see it.

Bull was standing in the doorway, his back to her as she stepped out and dried off. Pulling on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she picked up her dirty clothes. He waited while she tossed them into the dirty clothes pile in her room. The laundry setup in this house was outdated and the owners cautioned her against using it. They would have to wait until their next stop to clean their clothes.

The sun was already peeking over the horizon when Bull and Makenna entered the living room. The curtains were cracked just enough to let some light in. There were cups filled with coffee already on the table. Dorian was sitting on the loveseat looking haggard. His hair was mussed and his pajamas were rumpled. Raina was sitting beside him, looking a little more put together with her hair in a braid. She yawned.

The TV was one and the early morning weather report was playing at low volume. Bull sat down on the couch and Makenna sat down beside him. She took a sip of coffee while she opened her laptop. First, she backed up the footage to the cloud just in case something happened. Then she rewound the footage to watch what had happened.

The weather report was forgotten as they all leaned in to watch.

At four in the morning, they were all asleep. They stayed asleep for an hour, but at five, Makenna watched herself get out of bed. Her eyes were open, but Makenna knew she wasn’t awake. The moved in and out of view as she walked out into the hallway and descended the stairs. The downstairs camera picked her up when she walked to the basement door. The door stayed open as she disappeared into the darkness.

She didn’t come back into view again until she walked in front of the basement camera. She stared at a spot on the floor for a few seconds before she crumpled, landing in the dirt. Right at that time, she watched all of the doors slam shut and the others wake. There was panic in their movements as they searched for her and made their way downstairs. There was no camera in the kitchen so Makenna didn’t catch the stovetop turning on or the faucet. But she could see the smoke on camera and the moment she emerged from the basement looking confused.

“You were sleepwalking,” Raina said.

“I guess,” Makenna mumbled, taking another sip of coffee.

She wanted to rewatch the footage to see if there was anything she had missed, but she was exhausted and shaky. Something Bull picked up on right away. He coaxed the cup out of her hand and set it down on the table. He closed the laptop so she couldn’t stare at it anymore. “Let’s get some sleep,” he said.

Makenna wasn’t sure how she was going to get to sleep. But she moved to the other end of the couch and curled up on her side to give Bull as much room as possible. She watched the weather report, watching the radar showing the storm coming in later that night. They were supposed to be gone by the afternoon. She had only booked one night. But she wasn’t done here.

Not yet.


	5. Secrets Revealed

The sun was brighter when she woke for the second time. Her feet were shoved under Iron Bull’s thighs to keep them warm. He was had his elbow on the arm of the couch and his hand was holding up his chin. Looking over to the loveseat, she saw Dorian and Raina leaning on each other with Raina’s head on Dorian’s shoulder. Quietly, Makenna reached for her phone and tapped the screen. It was seven in the morning. She had barely gotten two hours of sleep.

She turned her face to stifle her yawn into the pillow. Pulling her feet out from under Bull, she carefully got up so she didn’t wake the others. She grabbed her phone from the table and shoved it into the pocket of her shorts. The wood squeaked under her footsteps and she winced. There was still a faint smell of smoke when she entered the kitchen. The open windows allowed the cool morning breeze to ruffle the curtains.

Makenna dumped out the little bit of cold coffee that was left and rinsed out the pot. They would all need coffee to function today. Especially when Makenna dropped the news that she wanted to stay another night. Dorian would be the hardest to convince.

With a new pot brewing, Makenna walked to the door off the kitchen. The inlaid window was covered by a small curtain. Turning the knob, she opened the door and stepped out onto the wraparound porch. She shivered in the cool air. The wooden porch was slick from the morning dew.

Makenna sat down on a small settee and tucked her legs underneath her. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she searched through her recent calls. Once she found the person she was looking for, she clicked the call button and held her phone up to her ear.

It rang once. Then twice.

“Hello,” a woman’s voice rang out, still tinged with sleep.

“Morning, Diane,” Makenna greeted. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Oh! Ms. Carnahan,” the woman responded. “You didn’t. How are you liking the house?”

“That’s why I’m calling actually,” Makenna said, grateful she wouldn’t have to beat around the bush. “When you described the hauntings, you said it was just feelings and whispers and cold spots, but you didn’t say anything about the appliances turning on by themselves.”

“Huh? That’s never happened.” Diane paused. “Did it happen to you?”

“Yes,” Makenna answered. “We woke up to the stove on and smoking, and all of the faucets were on in the house and I…I woke up in the basement.”

“I see,” Diane murmured. “I suppose it’s a good thing you’re leaving today. I would be terrified.”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask you,” Makenna said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’d like to stay another night.”

“Are you sure? You’re not scared?”

Makenna laughed, but it was hollow. “I can’t say that I’m not, but I just…it’s hard to explain…I feel like the house is trying to tell me something.” Once she said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous. But she stood by it.

“If you’re certain…” Diana trailed off.

“I am,” Makenna confirmed.

“Then you’re welcome to stay. There isn’t another rental for three more days. Take the time you need,” Diane said.

Makenna heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“Ms. Carnahan?”

“Yes?”

“My grandmother used to see things. I didn’t believe her, not until I lived in that house. Her gift was a hard burden to bear and she was vulnerable in ways I never understood,” Diane said. “I believe you. Please be careful.”

The call ended before Makenna could say anything else. _I believe you._ Very few people had ever said that to her before. Dorian being one of them. In fact, he was the first.

She heard the sound of someone entering the kitchen through the open window. Leaning over to look inside, she saw Dorian pouring a cup of coffee. She drew in a breath and got up, shoving her phone back into her pocket. He was going to be hard to convince.

He looked up while putting sugar in his coffee, looking like he was trying not to yawn. “Morning,” he mumbled.

“Some morning,” she answered and pulled out one of the kitchen chairs to sit.

“Did you make yours?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not yet…listen I—”

“What time are we supposed to be out of here?” he asked, interrupting her.

“I want to stay another night,” she answered, her voice quiet.

Dorian sighed, his shoulders sagging. “I had a feeling you were going to ask,” he said. “Although I was hoping I was wrong.”

“Just one more,” she promised. “I just want a chance to find out the truth here.”

“We were just supposed to get evidence. We have that. Why does having the truth matter?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

Makenna opened and closed her mouth, unsure of how to answer. He was right. She had wanted evidence, that was all she needed, and yet it wasn’t enough. But it seemed like whatever was here wanted her to know. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t mess with her more than the others. Or maybe she was inflating her own self-importance. She wasn’t entirely sure. “I don’t know. I just know I’m going to kick myself if we just leave,” she said.

Dorian nodded. “Fine. Against my better judgment, we’ll stay. But if anything goes wrong, we pack up and leave immediately.”

“Deal.”

The others were easier to convince. Iron Bull was the kind of rock she needed on this trip. Raina was wary but agreed. Just one more night. Makenna would use her time to get to the bottom of it. Breakfast was a quick affair. No one really wanted to cook on the stove so Dorian unearthed a griddle and threw together French toast and bacon. During breakfast, Makenna pitched the idea of going down to the local library for research. Dorian agreed to accompany her while Bull and Raina decided to stay behind and look through all of the footage and voice recordings from the night before.

Makenna and Dorian showered and changed into fresh clothes. When they left the house, Raina had opened all of the downstairs windows to let in a cross breeze and a chair was pushed in front of the basement door. Not that Makenna could blame her. The basement was the creepiest place in the house.

When they got in the car, Makenna pulled up the directions to the library on her phone and placed the phone in its holder. It was early and the roads weren’t busy. The library was also in Old Crestwood and it only took them fifteen minutes to reach it.

Dorian pushed open the heavy doors and held it open for Makenna. The library didn’t have many windows making it dark inside. Her boots resounded on the tile flooring in the foyer. Looking around she noted a set of stairs going down into a basement, and then the bathrooms on the opposite side. She didn’t see anyone at the circulation desk. In fact, she didn’t see anyone at all.

Nearing the desk, she raised her hand to tap the small bell. But before she could a man popped up behind the desk, making her and Dorian jump. With glasses teetering precariously at the end of his nose and his jet-black hair tucked behind his pointed ears, he smiled. “Sorry,” he said, sounding apologetic. “I’m Athlasan, I run the library.” He looked Makenna up and down. “I’ve never seen you before. Did you recently move here?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m staying at the Dedrick house for a couple of days and I was wanting to know more about it,” she answered, not wanting to reveal too much, but Athlasan smiled.

“You’re the first person that’s actually come asking about that place. Most people just leave as soon as they can,” he said. “What do you want to know?”

Makenna reached into her purse and grabbed out a clear plastic baggie. The picture was sealed inside to prevent any more damage. And she didn’t want to bring the whole box with her. She placed it on the counter. “I’ve done research on the original family, as well as other families that have lived there, but I’ve never seen this picture in any of them. I was wondering if the Dedrick's had a second child?”

Athlasan frowned. “I’ve never heard of a second child. Not from the stories, but there might be something in the archives.” Slender fingers pushed the picture back towards her. He walked around the desk and gestured for them to follow her.

They backtracked to the foyer and he took them down the stairs into the basement. Mildew and mold made her wrinkle her nose. Downstairs there were several file cabinets lined up immediately to her left. There were several rows of bookshelves filled with old volumes, and boxes that had haphazard labels slapped on the front. On the far wall were two microfiche readers side by side. There were two round tables with four mismatched chairs each, sitting beside each other, in front of the microfiche reader. No windows lit up the place, leaving it to be lit with a few dim—and some flickering—yellow lamps hanging from the ceiling.

Athlasan walked down one of the first rows, leaving Dorian and Makenna standing by the table closest to the stairs. He walked down the row, moving his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, his eyes moving over the boxes. Finally, he grabbed what he had been looking for and carried it over to the table. He opened the lid to reveal its contents.

“This is everything about the Dedrick's.” He pulled out a sealed metal box. “This contains all of the paper records for the Dedrick's. It’s on microfiche. Things like financial records, and I think even the original deed to the house. All the society articles for them are here as well, as well as articles from when the house was being built.”

Makenna leaned over to look inside and also saw old yellowed papers, encased in plastic sheeting. As well as old photos. On top was the photo of the family she already had.

“Do you know how to use the microfiche machine?” he asked, walking over to turn them on.

Makenna nodded, following him. “We have them in our school,” she said. “I’ve had quite a bit of practice.”

Athlasan looked at her, his eyes twinkling. “I don’t think you told me your name.”

“It’s Makenna,” she answered, holding her hand out.

His fingers wrapped around her to shake her hand. “Pleasure.” He focused on her face and she knew what he was looking at with such intent.

Dorian groaned quietly behind her.

Makenna’s cheeks were tinged pink from the way Athlasan was staring at her. Anytime anyone met her for the first time they invariably focused on her eye. Not just the scar that began at the inner corner of her eyebrow and slashed across her left cheek—she hated telling the embarrassing story of how a very excited mabari gave it to her—but the violet iris of her left eye. It was a stark contrast to her green eye on the right.

“Well, if you need anything, I’ll be upstairs,” Athlasan finally said, thankfully not asking her about it. Not that she was embarrassed by it, it was a family trait that showed up every other generation, but she was tired of always having to explain it.

“Flirt,” Dorian mumbled, nudging her shoulder with his as soon as Athlasan left the room.

“I am not,” she argued, keeping her voice down.

“Are too,” he shot back. “I don’t think you can help it.” He slid into the chair in front of the machine on the right.

She stuck her tongue out at him and sat in the chair beside him. They were quiet as she carefully handled the microfiche and got the machines set up. Scrolling through the news articles and society papers was—in a word—boring. For the first half-hour, they found nothing of note. Nothing that even hinted about another child.

Makenna yawned.

“I wonder if there’s coffee upstairs,” she grumbled, leaning back in her chair.

“Maybe if you go upstairs and pull Athlasan in a closet, it will wake you,” Dorian teased.

Makenna rolled her eyes. “I do it one time and you never let me live it down.”

“It was at Halamshiral and I had to hold your mother off for a good thirty minutes so she wouldn’t go looking for you,” Dorian said. “I’ve more than earned teasing you for it.”

Makenna leaned forward on her elbows. “You know, I didn’t even catch his name,” she sighed. “He was a good kisser.”

Dorian shook his head. “I’m not surprised. You and your mother had another argument and you used someone else to forget about it for a moment. You’re good at that.”

“Why are you my friend again?” she asked.

“Because you need someone to tell you you’re a hot mess,” he answered, standing up. “I’ll go see if there’s coffee.”

“Thank you,” she grumbled, sarcastically.

“You’re welcome,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared back upstairs.

Makenna blew out a breath and began scrolling again, leaning forward to the read the small print. Seeing the wedding announcement, she paused and enlarged it. There really wasn’t any reason to read it. It just stated August Dedrick was going to marry Matilda McKinnon and…

A sentence caught her eye and she enlarged it even more. They were looking for a secret second child that someone would have missed. Not this. Standing up from the chair, Makenna hauled upstairs. Dorian was leaning on the desk, talking to Athlasan, while two cups of steaming coffee were sitting on the desk. _Who’s the flirt now_. Makenna shook her head. That wasn’t important.

Athlasan saw her first, smiling. “Makenna! How’s your search?”

“Do you have anything on the McKinnon’s?”

“We should. Why?” he asked.

“What does this have to with anything?” Dorian asked.

She thrummed with excitement. “I read the wedding announcement. Matilda was a widow, her first husband died of an illness, but she also had a child with her first husband. Abigail McKinnon!”

“Holy shit,” Dorian said.

“We were looking for a secret second child but didn’t even think that Matilda had a child before she married Dedrick.” Makenna leaned on the desk. “If I can find a picture of Abigail, we might have a match.”

“Let’s see what we can find then,” Athlasan said, coming around the desk.

With the coffee forgotten, the three went back downstairs into the archives. Athlasan disappeared between the rows once more while Makenna waited beside the box with the Dedrick files. She was antsy. They were so close to figuring this out. When he returned with a box and set it down on the table, she had to resist the urge to dig into it herself.

Athlasan took the top off and pulled out an album. As he carefully flipped the pages, she realized it was full of photos of the McKinnon’s. They must’ve been an old family of Crestwood as well. She leaned closer to look at the photos. She recognized Matilda first, standing next to a well-dressed gentleman with dark eyes and hair. There was a happiness in her expression that wasn’t present in the photos with Dedrick.

When he flipped the next page, he paused. There it was. Makenna fished the picture she had brought out of her bag and held it next to the picture in the album. They were the same. But what had happened to Abigail McKinnon?

Athlasan left the album open and looked in the box. “I’m guessing she didn’t change her last name to Dedrick, which is why she wasn’t filed with them.” He pulled out a box of microfiche. Instead of leaving them, he walked over to the machine and carefully changed out the film, putting the old one back and securing it. He seemed just as excited to find something new.

Dorian and Makenna leaned over his shoulders. He scrolled through articles, his eyes darting over the words to find something. Eventually, he stopped on an article. The headline declared that a socialite child hadn’t been seen in a long time, but the Dedrick's never declared her missing. The grandparents were the ones that were asking about the child.

“Wait…” Dorian pointed at the article. “It says here that she’s 16. That can’t be right.”

Makenna frowned. “I don’t…maybe?” She shrugged.

“Why can’t it be right?” Athlasan asked, turning to look up at her.

Makenna hesitated a moment. “We found the picture in a keepsake box. With a necklace and a pair of child’s shoes. If she was 16 why would this photo be in there?”

“Maybe it’s symbolic,” Athlasan suggested. “The mother wanted to remember her child as she wanted the child to be, not who she grew up to be.”

“Is there anything that says what happened to her?” Makenna asked.

Athlasan scrolled through more articles. The next one wasn’t until a month after the initial. The Dedricks made an official statement that Abigail had run off with an out of towner and they didn’t know where she was as she had not contacted them. They said nothing for fear of being embarrassed.

“Bullshit,” Dorian and Makenna muttered at the same time.

Athlasan shook his head. “Unfortunately, it seems the papers bought it. She’s never mentioned again, although I would also chalk that up to influence.”

“So we know who she is now, but we still don’t know the truth,” Makenna muttered, scrubbing her hand down her face.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone will know the truth now,” Athlasan said. “It did happen so long ago and all witnesses to whatever possible crime that took place are dead. It’s a shame.”

No. That couldn’t be the end of it. Makenna could find out the truth of what happened. She just knew it. But she had to go back to the house.

“Thank you, Athlasan,” she said. “We have to go.”

He nodded. “Thank you. This is the most fun I’ve had here in…ever.” He grinned. “And I can finally say that someone utilized the microfiche reader other than myself.”

Makenna smiled back. “It’s a shame people don’t patronize their local libraries as often as they should.”

Dorian rolled his eyes.

“Will you two be leaving town soon then?” Athlasan asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” Makenna confirmed.

“Too bad. Any chance you would come back to Crestwood?”

Makenna shrugged. “Anything’s a possibility. Although I don’t think Crestwood could handle me in large doses.”

“Very true,” he said. “Well, here’s to hoping.”

She and Dorian left Athlasan in the archives. It wasn’t until they walked outside that she nudged Dorian in the side with her elbow. “That time I was flirting on purpose.”

He snorted.

The sky was overcast, the clouds ranging from a light grey to almost black. It was going to storm soon. The house was going to be even creepier now.

“Should we pick up lunch?” Dorian asked. “I’m still not comfortable cooking in that kitchen.”

“Good idea,” she said.

It took them less than half an hour to grab lunch from a drive-thru and then drive back to the house. When she pulled into the driveway, droplets of rain began to hit the windshield. Grabbing the bags, she and Dorian ran into the house to avoid getting soaked.

Bull and Raina were sitting in the living room.

“You’re never going to guess what we got,” Raina said before Makenna could greet them.

“Funny, I was going to say the same thing,” Dorian answered.

Ignoring him, Raina pressed on. “We were listening to the audio files and last night, do you remember when you asked if someone was with us and who they were?”

Makenna nodded while walking into the kitchen. The others followed behind her, Raina was right behind her, buzzing with excitement. “Well, we heard something. It sounded like a name—”

“And static,” Bull added.

“But the name was—”

“Abigail,” Dorian and Makenna answered at the same time.

Raina gaped at them as she slid in her seat. “How did you know?”

“Abigail was Matilda’s child from a previous marriage,” Dorian said, pulling wrapped sandwiches and fries from one of the bags and arranging them on the table.

“But there was hardly any reporting on her and when she was a teenager she was reported missing by her grandparents because they hadn’t heard from her. The Dedricks finally said she had run away and they never heard from her again,” Makenna finished while emptying her own bag that was full of utensils, sauces, and cookies.

“What do you think really happened to her?” Bull asked.

“I don’t know for sure.” Makenna frowned, sitting down. “But I think she died here.”

“But why?” Raina asked. “Why hide her and why kill her?”

Makenna shook her head. She wasn’t sure she would be able to find out in just a night. And that upset her. She believed Abigail was the one who led her to the box. But she didn’t think that Abigail was the only presence here. There was something else. It’s what led her to the basement, and it was the thing behind the door to the master bedroom the night before.

The bedrooms were relatively clear of belongings since they were set up as guest bedrooms. There were only two places she could think of that might hold answers. And she sure as hell didn’t want to go back down into the basement. “I’m going to look in the attic after lunch. See if I can find anything.”

“Do you think you will?” Dorian asked. “There doesn’t seem to be much left of the original family here. At least not in the way of records.”

She shrugged. “I can try at least.”

As soon as lunch ended and they had cleaned up, Makenna went upstairs alone. Dorian had wanted someone to accompany her, but she thought she might have better luck of finding something on her own. He wasn’t thrilled about it. Yet he let her do with the promise that she would holler if anything at all started. He didn’t care if it was an odd breeze.

She wanted to tease him, but she knew he was legitimately worried.

Grabbing the cord, she pulled down the stairs for the attic and quietly ascended. It was darker today with the storm clouds brewing outside. She could still see. The camera she had set up here was undisturbed. Walking around the room she started in the left corner by the stairs. Some of the furniture was covered in sheets, but some were not.

Reaching an old desk, she opened the rolling top and coughed as the thick layer of dust she had disturbed wafted into the air. The desktop was empty. No old papers or pictures. She even opened the drawers. The only thing she found was an old, rusted letter opener. She put it back and closed the desk back up.

She spent the better part of on hour wandering around the attic and lifting sheets to try and find anything. All she found were antique chairs with molding upholstery and miscellaneous pieces of old furniture. Even an old clock that didn’t tick anymore.

There was nothing.

Disappointment sank in and she sighed. She might as well go back downstairs. Perhaps even gather her courage to venture into the basement. Turning to go back down the stairs, her eyes swept across the room one last time.

That’s when she saw it.

It hadn’t been there before. She was absolutely sure of it. Nothing had been in front of the camera. Yet there was something in front of it now. Makenna stared at it. The white sheet didn’t move no matter how long she looked.

_Call Dorian_.

It wasn’t shaped like a piece of furniture. No. It looked like a person. But which one? Abigail? Or something else? Her heart thudded in her chest. Taking a step forward, she raised a trembling hand.

_I can do this_.

Curling her fingers into the fabric she gently tugged at the sheet. The moment she began to pull it fell to the ground with a soft thud, kicking up the dust on the floor. There was nothing there. Nothing she could see. But she could feel something. Eyes on her.

Makenna backed away, her breath’s coming out in small puffs. It was freezing. Part of her wanted to call out to it. But the rest of her was terrified. She should just go back downstairs. That was safe.

She turned around to go downstairs. That was her mistake. It was behind her. With a form. Abigail McKinnon stood at the top of the stairs. Her skin grey and cracked. Milky white eyes with yellow sclera stared at Makenna. Her finger was pointed at Makenna’s chest. With a cracking sound, her mouth opened—teeth blackened and crumbling—and she shrieked. Stomping across the wooden floor, she rushed at Makenna.

Makenna backed away, stumbling over her own feet. She crashed into the tripod and went down. Hard. Her head struck the windowsill.

_She was standing in the closet. The door was shut and it was dark. Reaching out into the dark, she found the knob and tried to turn it to no avail. Turning in a circle she noticed a sliver of light. Not from the around the doorway, but opposite of it. She stepped closer, reaching for the wall._

_Gently tapping on it, she noticed it sounded hollow. Sticking the tips of her fingers in the crack where the light was coming through, she pulled at the wood. The panel came away in two tugs. Sliding it to the side, she peered into the space._

_No._

_Not just a space. A room._

_Crouching down, she moved through the opening and stood back up. The room was small. Just big enough for a small twin bed. The bed frame was metal, tarnished with age. And there was a small dresser, a desk, and a chair. Light filtered in through a tiny window close to the top of the ceiling. How did anyone not notice the window from the outside?_

_The sound of pencil scratching against paper made her turn towards the far corner. Abigail McKinnon sat with her legs tucked underneath her. Papers filled with drawings were scattered around her while she furiously scribbled in the sketchbook balanced in her lap. Makenna kneeled down, grabbing one of the papers. It was of a woman in wedding dress with a veil enshrouding her face in darkness. She grabbed another, this one of an impossibly tall man with a top hat, his limbs bent at awkward angles._

_“You see like I did,” Abigail whispered._

_Makenna looked up to stare at Abigail, who was no longer drawing. Abigail’s eyes flicked over Makenna’s shoulder. “He doesn’t like it when I talk to you,” she murmured._

_“Who?” Makenna asked, but she already had a good guess._

_“I just want to be with mommy,” Abigail said instead. “He won’t let me.”_

_Makenna froze when she heard a gun cock behind her. She turned, seeing the muzzle leveled at her. The shadow was on the other side. It didn’t have a form, but she knew who it was. August Dedrick made his new wife hide her own daughter because of her ability. Then he killed her._

_His finger curled around the trigger and Makenna squeezed her eyes shut._

_BANG!_

“Makenna!”

Her eyes fluttered open to see Dorian’s face hovering over her own. His shoulders sagged in relief when she groaned, reaching up to touch the tender spot on the back of her head. “Thank goodness,” he murmured, his hands still on her shoulder and cheek.

Makenna pushed herself up on her elbows, and with Dorian’s help, she was able to sit up fully. Bull and Raina were standing in the attic too. Everyone looked worried. Makenna looked around the room. The tripod was knocked over and the camera was still secured to the top. She hoped it wasn’t busted from the fall.

Rain pattered against the window. “How long was I out?” she asked.

“A few minutes,” Dorian said. “We heard you fall and found you passed out.”

“We should take her to the doctor,” Raina said.

Makenna shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“You hit your head, you are not fine,” Dorian argued.

“Please, Dorian, it’s just a small bump. I’ll just have a headache—”

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Makenna—”

“I can’t go, Dorian. Not yet. I think I know what she wants me to do. I need your help.”

Dorian sighed. “What?”

“Let me show you.”


	6. Laid To Rest

They were skeptical when she led them down into the blue room. And even more so, when she urged them into the closet. They probably thought she just hit her head too hard. But when she opened the panel and slid it off to the side, they were convinced.

Makenna led them into the room. The furniture was still there, but now everything was dusty. With the storm outside, it was darker. She pulled her phone from her pocket and turned on the flashlight to sweep it across the room.

“They kept her in here?” Dorian asked.

She nodded. “And he killed her in here.”

“Shit,” Bull muttered.

“So what does she want from you?” Raina asked.

“She said she wants to be with her mother, but he won’t let her,” Makenna said.

“How are you supposed to do that?” Dorian asked.

Makenna winced. He wouldn’t like her answer. She walked towards the corner where Abigail had been drawing. One of the boards squeaked under her foot and she knew that she was right. “He didn’t bury her,” she said, crouching down to tug at the loose board.

“Oh no,” Dorian murmured. “Please—”

Under the floor, in the space between this floor and the bottom floor was a large satchel. Bull walked over, helping Makenna pull the satchel out from the space and onto the wooden floor. Handing her flashlight to him, she undid the string to open it. The smell hit her first and she gagged. Abigail had been dead for many, many years, so the smell of decay wasn’t nearly as strong, but it still wasn’t pleasant.

“Fuck,” Bull said this time, shining the light into the bad to illuminate the bones.

“I need to bury her with her mother,” Makenna said, tying the satchel closed once more.

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Dorian whispered, shaking his head. “Do we even know where her mother was buried?”

“I can look it up,” Raina said.

“We need shovels,” Bull added. “Do you think there would be any on the property?”

“Maybe the basement,” Makenna answered. “I think there’s also a shed out back. You could look there.” She paused. “You don’t have to help me you know. We can get in a lot of trouble for this.”

“Of course we do,” Dorian scoffed before his expression sobered. “And it’s unforgivable to deny someone a proper final resting place.”

“Thank you,” Makenna whispered. She was lucky to have friends that understood. It was something Abigail McKinnon never got the chance to have.

Bull hefted the satchel over his shoulder and one by one they left the room. Replacing the panel, Makenna followed them out of the closet and they walked downstairs. It was raining heavily now. But they had to do it now. And the rain would give them cover. Bull placed her in the van while Raina looked up where Matilda was buried. Crestwood was small and only had one cemetery. Makenna hoped that was where she was buried and not in a private plot somewhere they wouldn’t be able to get to.

As luck would have it, that’s exactly where she was.

Makenna and Bull ran to the shed out back to look for a shovel. They were lucky it wasn’t locked. Looking through the various gardening and hardware tools, the finally found two shovels—one pointed and one flat—hidden behind a weed whacker.

Dorian and Raina were already in the car, the engine running, waiting for them. They tossed the shovels in the back and Makenna climbed in the backseat with Bull. She checked the time on her phone. It was just now turning five. With the rain, she hoped no one would really be out, and no one would be paying attention to the cemetery.

This was something they should do in the cover of darkness, but Makenna didn’t think they had that kind of time. If they waited much longer, August Dedrick would not let them take Abigail and give her what she wanted. But the darkness of the clouds overhead might just give them what they need.

The mood in the car was somber the entire way to the cemetery. What kind of conversation could they have with someone’s remains in the trunk? Dorian turned down a side road. Flat pavement gave away to a bumpy dirt road. She could see the cemetery through the pouring rain. Dorian parked close to the woods to hide the van as much as possible. They left Abigail in the car until they could find Matilda’s grave.

Makenna left her phone in the car so it didn’t get wet. While she walked between the markers to read the names, she really wished she had brought a jacket. The rain-soaked through her clothes easily. Everyone else had the same issues. Not a lot of thought had gone into this.

“Over here!” Bull called over the rain.

They jogged over to the large gravestone he was standing in front of. Not only was Matilda buried there, but so was her other child. However, August Dedrick wasn’t buried on either side of them. Maybe it was because of the one crime they did convict him of—the murder of his wife and sick child before he killed himself.

 _Bastard_.

“I’ll get the shovel,” Bull said, walking back towards the van.

“Are you sure about this?” Dorian asked her.

Makenna nodded. “Positive. This is what she wants.”

“And will the haunting stop?” Raina asked.

“I don’t know,” Makenna answered. She didn’t think Abigail’s presence was the only one in the house. Which meant they might be going back to a seriously pissed off ghost. They could cross that bridge when they got to it.

When Bull returned, Makenna took the other shovel from him and began digging. They took turns. When one would get tired another would take over and so on. It took them over an hour before the edge of the shovel hit wood. With them so close to being done, they hurriedly cleared just enough to be able to open the lid. Makenna handed her shovel off to Dorian and walked back to the van to collect Abigail.

She handed the satchel down to Bull before jumping down into the hole. He carefully lifted the lid and held it so rain wouldn’t get inside the coffin. Makenna placed the satchel inside and the closed the lid once more. “I hope you get to rest now, Abigail,” Makenna murmured.

Bull squeezed her shoulder.

All that was left now was to cover the grave with dirt and get the hell out before they were caught. Makenna didn’t know what the house would be liked when they returned. But she was willing to pack and leave tonight. She came here just expecting a run-of-the-mill haunting. Not something that felt so…personal.

It took them less time to shovel the dirt back into the grave. By the end, they were even using their hands. Cold, tired, and wet. They were ready to go.

The ride back to the house was just as quiet. Makenna had chucked her muddy boots in the trunk along with the shovels. The others had done the same. Dorian was driving with wet socks while she adjusted the heat in the van in the hopes of warming up.

The house was dark when they returned. They hadn’t even remembered to turn a light on. Headlights illuminated someone sitting on the porch and she tensed. Had they been caught? Did someone know what they had done? But they stepped into the light and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Athlasan.

She was the first out of the van and she jogged up to the porch. “Athlasan?” she asked, stepping under the eaves to get out of the rain.

“Makenna,” he greeted, his eyes flicked up and down, taking in her soaked and shoe-less appearance. “Apologies for dropping in. But you had forgotten this.” He reached inside his jacket pocket and procured the original photo from the keepsake box.

The others filed onto the porch behind her as she took the photo back. “Thanks,” she said. “I’ll put it back with the box.”

“I hope it isn’t a bad time, but I was wondering if I might come in and see it.”

Makenna frowned. “Um, sure, as long you promise not to ask what we were doing,” she replied, keeping her tone light.

Athlasan chuckled. “Agreed.”

Makenna fished the keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed it open, trying not to slip on the floor as she searched for the light switch. “I can put on some co—”

As soon as she turned on the light, the words died on her tongue. She was right. They were coming back to a pissed-off spirit.

The couch was on the other side of the room. The coffee table was overturned, her laptop was nowhere to be found. The loveseat was on its back. Pillows were thrown about the room.

“Oh dear,” Athlasan murmured.

“This isn’t Abigail is it?” Dorian asked.

Makenna shook her head. “No. No, I think it’s August,” she whispered. “He’s pissed.”

“So I was right,” Athlasan murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

She turned to him. “About what?”

“The purple eye. You can see things,” he stated. “I’ve seen mentions of it in my research.”

“Research?”

“Maybe later,” Dorian interrupted. “Listen, I don’t think we should stay here.”

Makenna nodded. “You’re right. We should pack up and leave.”

“I can help,” Athlasan said.

“Are you sure? I’m not sure it’s really safe here,” Makenna replied.

“Of course,” he answered. “Another person would make the process faster.”

“Okay,” she mumbled. “Let’s pack up our rooms and the cameras in them first. Then we’ll grab the extra cameras and maybe find my damn laptop somewhere.”

Nobody had to be told twice. Athlasan accompanied her and Raina into the blue room so they could quickly grab their stuff and throw it into their bags. The closet door was wide open, but Makenna ignored it. She wasn’t going anywhere near that panel or room again. Leaving Athlasan and Raina to dismantle the tripod, she ventured into the bathroom to grab their toiletries. So far everything was quiet. But she didn’t trust it.

It took them less than fifteen minutes to have their bags in the hallway.

“Okay, we need the rest of the cameras. Bull and Dorian can get the one out of the attic and the one in the hallway. We can carry the bags down and get the other two cameras downstairs. Good?” Makenna hefted her suitcase and grabbed Dorian’s as well.

Dorian didn’t look thrilled about going up to the attic, but he nodded. Makenna went down the stairs first and walked down the hallway to set the bags down in the foyer. Once everything was there, they could get it in the van quickly. Raina went for the camera in the living room while Athlasan righted some of the furniture to help Makenna look for her laptop.

“I feel bad about leaving the house like this. It’s a mess,” she said with a sigh.

“Don’t worry about it,” Athlasan answered. “You wouldn’t be the first people to leave the house in a hurry.”

“Does it happen often enough for everyone to know about it?” she asked.

He grinned. “Sort of. But I’ve known Diana a long time. I live next door.”

Makenna paused. “Really?”

He nodded. “Grew up here, with the stories, and I’ve stayed in the house before. Although I can say it’s never done this before.”

“Wow,” she murmured.

“My mother will be here in the morning and I’ll tell her what happened. Diane pays her to clean between guests. A caretaker of sorts.” He pulled her laptop from under the couch and held it up.

Makenna sighed in relief and grabbed it from him. She opened it up to make sure the screen wasn’t broken, but it was just fine. She packed it into the bag with the cameras. Bull and Dorian were taking a while. But she hadn’t heard anything bad. Pulling the keys to the van from her pocket she handed them to Raina. “Will you start loading? I’m going to check upstairs and make sure they’re fine.”

Raina nodded.

“I’ll help,” Athlasan said, grabbing a couple of suitcases.

“Just don’t take the camera bag yet,” Makenna called over her shoulder as she walked back to the stairs.

She paused in the middle of the hallway. The basement door was wide open. It wasn’t when they had initially come down. She didn’t want to go down there, but she couldn’t leave the camera.

 _Wait for the others_.

Fuck that. She wasn’t scared of August Dedrick.

Reaching inside she flicked on the light. The bulb flickered for a moment before it went out. “I guess that’s how you want to play,” she mumbled, pulling her phone from her pocket. She turned on the flashlight and used it to descend carefully into the basement.

The camera had been moved. It was no longer right by the stairs.

She swept the light around the basement. With the exception of a workbench and some boxes, it was empty. There was no one here; no one she could see. But she could still feel it. An oppressive rage that lurked in the shadows. Makenna drew in a deep breath and steeled herself.

Using her light, she quickly crossed the room and pulled the camera from the tripod. The cord was gone, but that was easily replaced. She crouched down to loosen and fold the legs of the tripod. One more minute and she could get out.

It didn’t approach her the entire time. Perhaps it just wanted them out. And since they were giving it that, it was going to let her go. She still didn’t trust it. And she wasn’t going to linger longer than she needed to. With the tripod tucked under her arm, she made her way back to the stairs.

 _Abomination_.

Something clamped around her foot and pulled. Makenna pitched forward, dropping the camera and tripod on the dirt floor. She held her hands out in front of her face to catch herself. But her chin still scraped against the floor. It stung. Whatever had her foot, held on, and began to drag her across the floor.

“No!” Makenna dug her fingers in the dirt, trying to keep herself still. But it was stronger, stubborn, it yanked her into the darkness.

She expected to hit the wall. Instead, she felt wood under her hands. She rolled over on her back. She was back in the room. Makenna pushed herself up on her elbows. Old papers, yellowed and cracked, shifted under her hands. The drawings. Why here? The sound of a gun cocking pulled her attention to the opposite corner.

“You let her leave,” August Dedrick whispered, his back to Makenna. For once, he wasn’t a shadow. But she would hardly call him corporeal. There were parts of him that were wispy. Like he was trying to hold himself together but he barely had the energy. “How could you let her leave?”

“It’s what she wanted,” Makenna answered. “She wanted to be with her mother. Something you robbed her of.”

“I gave her peace—”

“You gave her death, a bullet, just because you didn’t understand her. Because you were afraid—”

“AFRAID!” he bellowed finally turning towards her, making her gasp. His eyes were blackened, there was nothing left in them, and his mouth was curved into an exaggerated grimace. “She tormented me. The things she saw tormented all of us. I released this family from her curse.”

“It’s not a curse!” Makenna argued.

“She was an abomination. And so are you.” August Dedrick lifted the shotgun in his hands and cocked it. “I will put you out of your misery.”

Makenna held her hands up and squeezed her eyes shut. But the shot never came. Instead, and eerie calm washed over her.

“It’s alright,” someone murmured, the voice sounding familiar.

Makenna looked in the direction of the voice. Looking up into stormy blue-grey eyes, she felt…safe? Slender fingers cupped her face and she recognized him then. Last time he was just a voice, but this time she was seeing him. She had dreamed about him before. He had stopped her from finding what was at the end of the hallway in her dreams. “I’ll handle this,” he said.

“Wait—”

“Wake up, _Makenna_.”

Dorian’s face hovered over hers again. His hands were on her shoulders and he was shaking her awake. “Are you okay?” he asked, sounding muffled.

_Who was he?_

She nodded, sitting up with his help.

_Why am I seeing him?_

“You picked a helluva time to sleep, you know that?” Dorian said, holding out his hand to help pull her to her feet. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

But Makenna didn’t feel anything. It was like August Dedrick’s presence had just vanished. She looked around in confusion. _What the hell did he do?_ Where had Dedrick’s presence gone? “It’s gone,” she mumbled.

“What?” Dorian gripped her by the shoulders. “What’s gone?”

“Dedrick,” she answered. “There’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

“How?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Dorian’s shoulders sagged. Whether in relief or exhaustion, she wasn’t sure. “I still don’t think I want to stay here,” he said.

“Okay,” Makenna murmured. “Let’s go then.”

She picked up the camera and looked it over. They were more durable than she gave them credit for. There was barely a scratch. Dorian grabbed the tripod with one hand and then reached for her hand with his other. She was sure it was so he could make sure she followed him out. They walked up the basement stairs.

Even with the lightning and thunder outside, the house didn’t seem so scary anymore.

He led her past the living room that was still in disarray and out through the foyer. Athlasan was waiting on the porch along with Bull and Raina.

“Are you okay?” Raina asked, looking her over.

Makenna swiped at the dirt on her face and nodded. “I’m fine. And so is the house…I think,” she muttered.

“Why don’t you come next door so you can clean up,” Athlasan suggested. “Perhaps rest a little before you leave.”

“Thank you,” Dorian said, his hand still firmly gripping Makenna’s. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Makenna still didn’t feel like she was fully awake. Dorian’s iron grip was the only thing anchoring her to this plane of reality. It wasn’t until she was standing in the shower twenty minutes later that she finally felt like she was firmly steeped in reality. She could hear the others outside of the bathroom, probably sitting in the kitchen and drinking the coffee Athlasan had made.

Makenna didn’t want to take too long because she knew the others would want to shower as well, but she took the time to wash her hair and contemplate what had happened. She winced when the water hit her chin. Who was the man? Everything about him felt familiar to her. Yet, she had no idea who he was. Would she see him again?

Turning off the water, she stepped onto the bathmat and reached for the towel. It took her little time to dry off and get dressed. Using one of her t-shirts, she wrapped her hair and tied the sleeves into a bow at the top. It would save her having to style it in the morning before leaving.

There was a cup of coffee waiting for her on the kitchen table when she emerged. Raina stood up with her clothes to take her turn in the shower. Bull and Dorian were sitting at the table, nursing their own cups while Athlasan was leaning against the counter. “Hungry?” he asked. “I ordered pizza. I hope that’s okay.”

Makenna nodded, her stomach rumbling the moment she thought of food. “Sounds great,” she said, sitting down.

There was little conversation. All of it light. What was there to say? This location had been more successful than anyone had anticipated. She wondered if they would want to end the trip now. She hoped not. They still had two more locations to visit.

By the time the pizza arrived, everyone had showered and they all dug in. Athlasan was smart to order several pizzas. Makenna and Bull could eat a whole one on their own. Despite his objection at being compensated for it, she slipped money into his jacket that was hanging on the coat rack by the front door when he wasn’t looking.

Athlasan opened the guest room, which Makenna told Bull and Dorian to take because it would be more comfortable for Bull to sleep in a bed. While Raina and Makenna would sleep on the L-shaped sectional in the living room. Athlasan’s room was on the second floor. None of them needed much convincing to go to bed.

Bull and Dorian left the door to the guest room open and it was quiet. Raina was out cold next to her. But Makenna was having trouble sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Abigail or August or the mysterious stranger that had shown up twice in her dreams.

After an hour of just lying there, she gave up. Kicking off the blanket she stood up from the couch and quietly made her way to the front door. She walked out onto the front porch and sat in the rocking chair underneath the front window. The rain had slowed, but it still thundered in the distance. She took out her phone and checked the time. It was eleven, but it felt like it should be much later.

She yawned and opened her phone to check her e-mail. Diane had messaged her hours earlier wanting to make sure everything was going alright. With a frown, Makenna composed her reply. There was a lot to say, but she did her best not to rant.

“I thought you might have a hard time sleeping,” Athlasan’s voice from the door made her jump.

Makenna let out a breath. “Yeah, well…wouldn’t you?” she asked.

He nodded, walking out onto the porch. Leaning against the railing, he faced her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Honestly? I don’t know,” she murmured. “I feel confused mostly.”

“About?”

“What the hell I’m supposed to be doing,” she said.

“Is there something you think you should be doing?” he asked.

Makenna sat back in the rocking chair and sighed. “Yes…I think. Like why would I have these abilities if I’m not supposed to do something…” she trailed off her hand going up to her face. “My grandmother had the same defect, and she said her grandmother had it as well.”

“An interesting choice of words,” he said. “Defect?”

She shrugged. “I would consider seeing ghosts and being ostracized for it a defect. Look at where it got Abigail,” she murmured.

“In my research, it is hardly considered a defect. In fact, in some places it's revered. And many use their gifts to help those that come to them,” he said. “Most spirits were human once. Sometimes they just want to be heard and helped. You can do what many can’t. That’s no defect.”

“I never thought of it like that,” she whispered.

“I’d be happy to share my findings with you,” he said. “I can e-mail or text them to you.”

“Are you just trying to get my contact information?” she teased.

“Perhaps,” he answered, smiling. “It is a shame you’re leaving. I have a feeling you are an exciting person to be around.”

Makenna chuckled. “Some might use a different word.”

“Maybe so,” Athlasan said. “Well, good night, Makenna.” He pushed himself off of the railing and walked back to the door.

“Athlasan,” she called his name, making him pause before he answered the door.

“Hm?” He tilted his head in her direction.

“Are you opposed to one-night stands?” she asked.

The corner of his mouth curved up into a smirk. “Why don’t you come upstairs and find out,” he challenged, walking into the house.

Makenna put her phone back to sleep and stood up from the chair. Raising her arms above her head, she stretched until her back popped. She went back into the house and locked the door before quietly following Athlasan upstairs. Might as well have some fun while on the trip.


	7. Suledin Keep

Makenna rested her head against the cool window. The trees blurred as they rode down the highway. The sun was beginning to set behind them, painting the sky with hues of red and purple. Behind her, Bull and Raina dozed off. The music was playing softly so it didn’t disturb them. Dorian was driving again.

He set his coffee cup back into its holder. “So…how was it?” he asked, keeping his voice low

She leaned back in her seat. “How was what?”

Dorian raised his eyebrow. “Athlasan.”

Her face felt a little warm. “What about him?” she asked, reaching for her own coffee cup to take a sip.

Dorian scoffed. “I saw you come down from his room. You’re not as sneaky as you think,” he said. “Did you get his number?”

“Yes,” she mumbled.

“Are you going to text him?”

“Probably.”

“Are you going to tell him you’re engaged?” he asked.

“Probably not.” Makenna heaved a sigh and placed her cup back in the holder. “I don’t even know if I’ll see him again at all. But it was nice.”

“That house was rough,” he whispered.

She nodded. “It was,” her voice was equally quiet.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know what to say. It’s not what I was expecting.”

“You weren’t expecting to interact with a spirit that was like you,” he vocalized most of her feelings in a sentence.

“Yeah,” she murmured.

“That’s not going to be you, you know. Sure, your mom is harsh, but none of us would ever let that happen to you,” he reassured her, letting go of the wheel to briefly squeeze her hand.

“I know. I just…can’t help but think about the life she was robbed of. What she could’ve had if they had just given her the smallest amount of acceptance. He took everything from her before she had the chance,” Makenna said, her eyes filling with tears. “And no one but them knew she had died. How long had she been there? Just screaming until someone—until I—heard her?” She swiped at her eyes.

Bull's large hand came down on her shoulder. “But you did. And you listened.”

“She can rest now,” Dorian added.

“You’re right,” she said, sniffing. “It was just a lot.”

“Do you want to continue with the trip?” Dorian asked. “We can do something else with our vacation if you want to stop.”

Makenna shook her head. “No. We only have two locations left. I want to finish this.”

“If you’re sure…” Dorian trailed off.

“I am.”

“How much longer to Sahrnia?” Raina finally piped up, a yawn punctuating her question.

“Two hours,” Dorian answered.

“Should we check-in first? Or eat first?” Makenna asked.

“I don’t care. I’m just happy we’re staying at a not-haunted hotel. I can actually sleep,” Dorian said.

“Thank the creators,” Raina grumbled.

Makenna chuckled. “I can’t guarantee it isn’t haunted, but I didn’t book it because it is. We’re recording at Suledin Keep.”

“Don’t they do tours during the day?” Bull asked.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “But we’re recording at night.”

“Oh, are we trespassing again?” Dorian teased.

She snorted. “No. I have permission for us to stay several hours past closing.”

Raina yawned again. “At least it isn’t all night.”

“I tried, but they shot me down. We have to be out four in the morning. And there will be a nightguard so we won’t have much of a choice,” Makenna explained. “I barely got them to agree in the first place.”

“How did you?” Bull asked.

Makenna shrugged. “Being from an influential family helps. My aunt emailed them and promised a hefty donation if they let me do this.”

Bull and Raina shared a knowing look in the backseat. “Rich kids,” Bull said and Raina laughed.

They decided to wait until they reached the hotel and then they would order in dinner. All of them looked forward to a night of relaxing. They weren’t scheduled to go to Suledin Keep until the next night. It meant they could sleep in and had nearly a whole day to kill.

Makenna left the equipment in the car but grabbed her laptop. She could spend some time going through the footage and marking off what she wanted to use. Then she could relax. Maybe even get some much-needed sleep. The Dedrick house had been draining. For a moment, she considered Dorian’s advice. She had plenty of evidence from the house. But she still felt like she had to keep going. That there was something—an answer—at the end of all this.

They were sharing a room this time. Makenna had figured it was fine since they were only staying two nights, and once again, Bull and Dorian could share while Makenna and Raina shared. Walking into the room, she noticed the bathroom immediately to the right. There was also a TV, a microwave, a desk, and a small couch. It was perfect for their needs.

“What are we in the mood for?” Dorian asked, setting his bag down beside the first bed. “It’s late so we don’t have many options.”

The other three discussed what they wanted, while Makenna set her bag down beside the desk. She pulled her laptop out and set it on the desk, plugging the cord in so it could charge. Truthfully, she wasn’t all that hungry. She would defer to whatever they wanted. But first, she wanted a shower. Grabbing a change of clothes, she headed for the bathroom. “I’ll go with whatever you want. Dorian knows what I like.”

The conversation outside the room was muffled. Makenna pulled her phone out of her pocket and laid it face-up on the counter. It flashed with a notification. She pressed the home button to see who it was from. A groan escaped her lips when she saw it was from her mother. Later. She could answer it later.

She turned on the water, letting it warm up while she stripped and kicked her dirty clothes into a pile. Before she could turn away it lit up with another notification. This time it was from Dorian. Quirking her brow, she opened it.

<Dorian> Why don’t you take a bath?

<Makenna> Are you sure?

<Dorian> I think you need it

<Dorian> Bull and I decided to go pick something up

<Dorian> Raina is going to doze off until we get back

<Dorian> Relax away

<Makenna> Thanks 😘

<Dorian> Don’t drown

Makenna snorted and set her phone back down. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun. While she filled the separate tub with warm water, she stepped under the spray to quickly wash off. She didn’t bother grabbing her toiletry bag. The hotel soap was good enough and saved her the trouble. By the time the tub was full, she had just finished rinsing off the soap.

She stepped carefully onto the bathmat and turned off the faucets. Reaching for her phone, she put on one of her more relaxing playlists. As she sank down into the tub, the water reached her collarbone and she leaned her head back. She was definitely glad she had picked this hotel.

The warm water was soothing and she closed her eyes.

_The lake was frozen solid._

_It was still summer and there was no way it should be. She carefully stepped out onto the ice. It felt sturdy under her feet. There were no ominous cracking sounds. She didn’t feel like she was going to fall into the icy water that lurked beneath._

_It held as she walked closer to the middle of the lake. There was a small island that wasn’t reachable—except by boat—when the lake was thawed. A boat was beached on its shore. In the middle of the island was a tower. When they had reached Sahrnia earlier, she had seen it from the road. It was just as dilapidated here as it was in real life. Perhaps it served a function once, but it was derelict now._

_“You’re reckless,” a voice resounded off the ice._

_Makenna looked around for the source, but the lake was empty. “And?” she prompted, turning in slow circles._

_“Does anything else need to be said?” they answered._

_She scoffed. “My mother’s been calling me reckless for years. If you’re going to chastise me, try something new.”_

_When she turned back to the boat, he was sitting inside, folding his long legs underneath him. Once again, she was hit with that sense of familiarity. That she knew him. He wasn’t just some person showing up in her dreams. But who was he exactly? There was also the fact that he knew her name before. How?_

_As much as she was scrutinizing him, he was doing the same to her. His eyes flicked from her feet to her face._

_“Who are you?” she asked. “Why are you here?”_

_“Why wouldn’t I be here? I am dreaming after all,” he said. “And I could ask the same of you. Why are you here?”_

_She shrugged. “Hell, if I know.”_

_He snorted. “You haven’t changed at all,” he murmured so quietly she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly._

“Makenna.”

_She frowned. Dorian was calling her out of the bath. But she didn’t want to leave, not yet. Not without answers. Yet she had little time to ask everything she wanted. “What did you do to Dedrick?” she asked, deciding everything else could wait._

_“I locked him away,” he said as if that explained it all. It just left her with more questions. Like how the hell could he even do something like that?_

“Makenna.”

_“You should go.” He stood up._

_“Are you going to be here again?” she asked._

_“Perhaps.”_

“Makenna!”

Makenna opened her eyes and groaned. She didn’t know much more than she did before. “I’m coming!” she called.

A few minutes later she was stepping into the room, wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. She left her dirty clothes on the floor to pick up later. Bull and Dorian were sitting on the couch with fast food bags sitting on the coffee table in front of them. Raina was sitting in a chair that she had pulled up to the table. They were divvying up the food when Makenna grabbed the desk chair and wheeled it over to the table.

“Did you fall asleep?” Dorian asked.

She nodded, grabbing the burger from his outstretched hand. A bag was ripped open and all of the fries and onion rings were poured on it for them to share. They spent the next half hour eating while the TV droned on in the background. All of them were exhausted, from lack of sleep and dealing with the remnants of what had happened at the Dedrick house.

Makenna had planned to begin editing the video, but all she wanted to do right now was to go to sleep. After they finished, she helped clean up the table and the others began to take their showers to get ready for bed. Makenna sat on her side of the bed, flicking through the channels until she settled on an old sitcom.

“You okay?” Dorian asked, sitting across from her on the other bed.

She nodded, pushing her covers down with her feet so she could lay down. “Just tired and drained.”

“What do you think we’re going to find tomorrow?” He did the same and faced her.

Raina came out of the bathroom so Bull could take his turn. Turning down the covers, she slid in beside Makenna, jostling the bed slightly.

“I don’t know,” Makenna answered. “I’m not sure we’ll find much of anything beyond what’s in the reports. Which I can’t say I’m disappointed. I don’t need a lot of excitement after the house.”

He nodded. “A nice, boring haunting. Sounds perfect.”

She giggled. “Boring and haunting shouldn’t even belong in the same sentence.”

“And yet here we are,” he replied. “We certainly are a strange bunch.”

“That we are.” They quieted. The only sounds came from the TV and the shower. “I’m glad you’re my friends,” Makenna whispered.

Raina patted her shoulder while Dorian smiled at her.

Nestling into the blankets, Makenna felt her eyelids grow heavy. She heard the shower turn off and a few minutes later, Bull emerged from the bathroom. By the time he had climbed into his own side of the bed, she was already asleep.

She barely dreamed. For the brief moment that she did, she looked for him again, but he was nowhere to be found. It was probably for the best. She needed to actually sleep.

When she awoke, a small sliver of morning light came through the curtains. Quietly, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand to check the time. It was a little past seven in the morning. She set her phone back on the stand and settled back onto the pillow.

Bull was snoring on the other side of Dorian. One arm was slung over Dorian’s waist even though they weren’t close together. Raina was pressed against Makenna’s back, her cheek resting in between Makenna’s shoulder blades. It wasn’t a surprise to her. She had visited Raina’s family before and she had woken up smashed between a few cousins. Sleeping close together seemed to be a normal thing for the Dalish.

Dorian was on his side, facing her. As if feeling her stare at him, he blinked, looking back at her. He muffled a yawn with his fist. Makenna waggled her fingers at him in a wave. Carefully, he reached across the empty space for her hand. They intertwined fingers and he squeezed her hand. “Breakfast?” he mouthed so they wouldn’t wake the others.

She nodded.

Makenna slowly and carefully extricated herself from Raina. When she was free, she pulled the covers up and tucked Raina back in. She slid her feet into black slippers provided by the hotel while Dorian had brought his own—some dark brown grandpa looking slippers lined with wool. They were quiet so they didn’t wake the others when they exited the room.

Pausing in the hallway, she raised her arms overhead to stretch.

“Any dreams?” Dorian asked.

She shook her head. “No. Thankfully. Although, I’m surprised I didn’t sleep longer,” she said.

“Me too.” He took her hand and they walked to the elevator. After entering, he pressed the button for the first floor. “I wonder if this is one of those hotels that serves mimosas with breakfast. Do you think it’s too early?”

“For a mimosa? Never,” she answered, laughing. “But I think our choices are going to be coffee or orange juice.”

“Coffee will have to do then.”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Being so early, the lobby was quiet. The woman sitting at the front desk waved at them. Makenna returned the wave while Dorian tugged her toward the dining area.

Unfortunately, she was right about the coffee or orange juice. Although, they did also have a tea selection. They were given the option of taking everything back up to their room, so they got breakfast for all of them to share. Ten minutes later they were walking back to the elevator with several containers of food. The woman at the desk didn’t even blink an eye.

Bull wasn’t in bed when they entered the room again. And Raina was sitting up, her hair mussed, and yawning. Dorian and Makenna set the food down on the table. Since there was a coffeemaker in the room, Makenna skipped making the coffee downstairs and she set up a pot to brew. Bull walked out of the bathroom and grunted in approval when he saw coffee and food.

“I want to go back to sleep,” Raina mumbled, flopping back down on the bed.

Makenna chuckled, grabbing coffee cups. “You can if you want. We’re not doing anything until later.”

Raina eyed the food. “But I’m also hungry.”

“You can nap later,” Makenna suggested while pouring a cup for Raina first.

At that, Raina kicked off the covers and sat back up. Bull sat on the couch and Dorian sat beside him. Makenna finished pouring the coffee and carried them over to the table. She went back for cream and sugar before sitting down on the floor, opposite of Dorian.

“Do you just want to relax here today?” she asked, popping a strawberry slice in her mouth.

“Honestly? Yes,” Dorian said. “I’m still tired and I don’t feel like sightseeing.”

Bull and Raina nodded in unison. Makenna was relieved. She didn’t feel like going anywhere either, at least, not until later. Even then she wasn’t sure about Suledin Keep. For some reason, she just felt like it was going to be a waste of time. Maybe it was because everything seemed so tame after the Dedrick house. She just didn’t think Suledin Keep would live up to that house.

But she was here and she had already convinced the owner to let her do this.

She just hoped something would come out of it.

They spent most of the day in the room, only leaving a few times for lunch, snacks, and dinner. Makenna managed to get through some of the footage, and there was a lot of the Dedrick house. Raina helped her go through the audio and pull any audio evidence. But after a couple of hours, Dorian convinced her to do something else.

With the rest of their free time, they played a few board games, watched a movie, and even fit in a nap before dinner. They would need it since they were going to be up for a while.

By the time seven rolled around, Makenna had pulled on a pair of denim shorts and her black Ouija board tank top. Dorian rolled his eyes when he saw it. She tied her black hoodie around her waist and pulled on her black combat boots.

“Museums are usually cold,” he reminded her.

“That’s why I have my hoodie,” she said.

“Does it go down to your ankles?”

Makenna snorted. “Okay, mom,” she teased. “I don’t want to hear anything from the person who wore a crop top to his cousin’s wedding.”

“It was a two-piece outfit, the crop top was essential,” Dorian argued.

“I want to see that outfit,” Raina said.

“Remind me to show you a picture later. I was the best dressed there.” Dorian shifted back to Makenna. “Are we ready?”

She nodded. “Everything else is in the car.”

They left the room, shutting off the light, and walked down to the elevator. Suledin Keep would be closing in an hour and they had to be in the door right before they closed. The owner wouldn’t be there, but the night guard should have all of her information already. Since it was a museum, she couldn’t set up her own cameras around the building—she didn’t have enough for that—so they would be carrying the cameras with them.

When they reached the parking lot, Makenna pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked the doors. This time she climbed in the driver’s seat and set her phone into the holder. She pulled up the directions to the Keep. It was only a few minutes away, but there would be some traffic.

The parking lot for the Keep was nearly empty. Makenna parked in the back. “Wait here,” she said. “I’m going to go talk to them first before we take anything in.”

The sun was only just beginning to set. It wouldn’t be completely dark for at least another hour. She jogged up the stairs to the entrance. Suledin Keep had been restored several times in the last few hundred years. Additions had also been made over the years and one could tell where the stone didn’t quite match.

Makenna stepped inside and felt…nothing. There wasn’t a presence here like there had been at the Dedrick house. That didn’t mean nothing was here, but it didn’t inspire hope.

A guide was standing at the entrance. “Hi! I’m sorry, we’re conducting our last tour of the day, but we open again tomorrow at ten,” she said, a smile plastered on her face.

Makenna looked down at her nametag. “Hi, Ashala. I’m not here for a tour. I’m supposed to see a Michel de Chevin.”

Ashala’s smile dropped and she looked Makenna up and down. “You’re the one here looking for ghosts.” It wasn’t a question.

“That’s me,” Makenna answered.

“I’ve worked here for over a year. Never seen or heard anything. I think tourists like to make stuff up,” she said.

Makenna nodded. “I don’t think there’s much here either.”

“Then why did you come?”

Makenna shrugged. “Can’t hurt to be sure.”

Ashala nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She turned to her right and walked through a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY.

While Makenna waited, she looked at the artwork hanging in the entrance. They were large, the brushstrokes made it look like tapestry, but it was on canvas. Vibrant reds and burgundies mixed with dark yellows and greens and blues. She could tell the pieces were new and yet, they fit into the décor. She leaned in to look at the placard. The artist wasn’t named. She frowned. Weird.

The door opened and a tall blonde man with a strong jaw stepped into the foyer. There was a tablet in his hand and he glanced down at it. “Makenna Carnahan?” he asked.

She nodded.

He held out his hand and she shook it. “I’m Michel de Chevin, the nightguard. Is it just you?”

“No, my friends are waiting in the car. There’s four of us altogether,” she answered.

“I can only let you stay until four in the morning. But you don’t have to stay that long,” he said, looking down at the tablet again. “You can also go into the main hall, the kitchens, the dining room, and a few of the bedrooms. Everything else is off-limits. And of course, please don’t touch the exhibits.”

He was just echoing what she had already received in the e-mail from the owner. “Is it okay if we bring in our cameras now?” she asked.

Michel nodded. “Do you need any help?”

“No, we’ve got it.” She walked back into the parking lot. The others were already standing around the van. When Bull spotted her, he opened the hatch.

“Leave the tripods,” she said when she got close. “We can’t use them anyway.”

“Are we taking the EVP and spirit box?” Raina asked.

“Yeah, we can split them between us. And we should bring the walkies too.” Makenna grabbed a camera from Bull.

She also made sure to put spare batteries in her pockets in case they needed them. When they had everything, they walked back towards the entrance. The last tour was leaving while they were entering. Michel was waiting for them at the entrance.

“I’m going to do my walkthrough to make sure there are no stragglers, after that you’re free to do what you’re doing,” he said before leaving them alone in the foyer.

“So what are we looking for?” Bull asked.

“Reports from tourists said they felt cold spots, heard growls, felt something touching them or pushing them, and sometimes smelled something bad,” Makenna answered.

“The keep is old. I’d be surprised if they didn’t smell something bad,” Dorian said.

She snorted. “It could be bullshit. We’ll find out.”

A few minutes after Michel left to do his walkthrough, Ashala exited the employee-only area. She eyed the group. “Good luck,” she said as she walked past to leave for the night.

Makenna gave her a small wave. “So we’re only allowed to go in a few rooms. Does anyone have a preference?”

“As long as there are no basements, I don’t care,” Dorian said.

Makenna chuckled, but she wholeheartedly agreed. After the last one, she wasn’t going near basements for a long time. They stood around the foyer for almost twenty minutes. Michel finally showed back up to clear them to walk around. Any rooms they couldn’t access were already closed and locked. And before he let them go, he reminded them he could see them on the cameras. Not that they were planning on vandalizing anything.

They paired up again, with Raina and Makenna veering off towards the kitchens. They had their cameras on and filming, and Makenna also had the spirit box in her other hand. She still felt nothing. The air in the Keep felt empty and stagnant. Even if there had been something here once, it didn’t feel like there was anything here now.

Even so, when she and Raina walked into the kitchen, she turned on the spirit box. It would switch through frequencies rapidly and give anything that might be here a chance to speak. Since it moved through channels so fast, they weren’t likely to mistake anything on the radio for a spirit trying to communicate.

“Is there anything here?” Raina asked.

Nothing came through on the spirit box.

Makenna turned in a slow circle, sweeping the room with the camera. “Is there anything that wants to communicate?” she asked.

Nothing.

They tried for a few more minutes, but Makenna wasn’t hopeful that they would catch anything. She had a feeling they were in for a long night of disappointment.


	8. The Way Home

Makenna slid the hotel keys across the counter. The girl at the desk smiled at her and took the keys. “Did you enjoy your stay with us?” she asked, pulling up the reservation on the computer.

“Yes, thank you,” Makenna replied.

Dorian tapped her on the shoulder. “We’re going to get everything in the car,” he said, with his bag and her bag in his hands.

She nodded and he led Bull and Raina out the double doors. They had woken up early to leave well before checkout time. She wanted to be on the road so it wouldn’t be too late when they reached their final location. Everyone was tired, but she had promised them coffee and pastries for the road trip. It livened them up just enough.

Suledin Keep had been a bust. Nothing had happened. It just felt like another waste of time. Time that she could’ve spent sleeping in a hotel room instead of wandering around an old and drafty keep. They didn’t even stay the whole time. After midnight rolled around, Makenna called an end to the night. She hadn’t felt a damn thing while she was there.

The girl gave Makenna one final smile and wished her a good day. “Thank you,” Makenna said, walking towards the exit.

They were sitting in the car when she exited the building. As she got closer, she saw Dorian in the driver’s seat. If he really wanted to drive, she wasn’t going to stop him. A nap in the passenger seat would do her a world of good.

The first stop was a coffee shop. Even though it was early, the line was nearly wrapped around the building. It took twenty minutes to get to the box and another ten after that. When they made it to the window, Makenna handed her card to Dorian to pay. Five minutes later she was drinking a caramel coffee and taking a bite of a custard-filled donut with chocolate icing.

Trees looked like they bent sideways as Dorian drove down the highway. The drive to The Emerald Graves shouldn’t take too long. They should definitely arrive a little before dinner time. That would give them time to set up for the night and begin recording immediately.

Of all the previous locations, Chateau d’Onterre’s reputation was notorious and fairly well-documented. It was a hotspot of activity. People had died in strange accidents on and around the property. The most famous being of a family that had holed up in the house after fleeing their home. A woman had been found in the river at the bottom of a cliffside. Officials believed she had been reached for a Crystal Grace flower before losing her balance and falling. Still, they searched the area and happened upon the house. The account of them finding the family, dead and even some mutilated, started the long history of strange happenings in the house.

It was the place she was most excited to encounter. That’s why she saved it for last.

Dorian believed that because everything was so documented, it was probably a fraud. A way for people who get in way over their heads financially after purchasing the property, to try and recoup some of their investment. Makenna wasn’t so sure. Perhaps some of it was fake. But all she needed was a little bit of truth.

She yawned and leaned back in her seat. The gently rocking of the car sent her right to sleep.

_The hallway stretched out before her. But she felt closer now. The darkness moved and swirled. It seemed to vibrate in excitement. Like it knew she was close. It was waiting._

Dorian gently shook her awake.

“Are we here?” she grumbled, cracking an eye open.

“No, not quite,” he answered. “We took a detour.”

Makenna opened her eyes and sat up. “Where are we?”

He pointed out her window and she turned her head to look. They were parked on a grassy knoll of a dirt road. Dorian was pointing at a stone structure not far from where they were parked. Through the columns, she could see water.

“Figured we deserve a treat,” he said. “A nice swim.”

Raina leaned up through the middle. “It’s supposedly an ancient bath. I told Dorian about it weeks ago.”

“Are we even allowed to be here?” Makenna asked.

Dorian and Raina shrugged.

“It’s not marked off,” Raina said. “So I think it’s fine. Besides we went to the caves for you and that wasn’t really legal.”

Makenna nodded slowly. “Fair enough. Will we still make it to the chateau today?”

“We’ll be fine. Just an hour or two past schedule,” Dorian reassured her.

They piled out of the car and Dorian made sure it was locked up before they ventured down to the baths. The stone structure was crumbling. Some of it was just missing altogether. It just seemed like another forgotten place that no one seemed to care about.

They passed under an old archway and they walked down old stone stairs to the water. No one had brought bathing suits, so they stripped down to their underwear. Makenna folded her shorts and t-shirt and set her phone on top. Her boots were set neatly beside her clothes and her socks were stuffed in her boots.

The water was cold at first. She waded in slowly, letting the water lap at her knees. Bull ran into the water and dove in. Water splashed onto her stomach and she hissed. He came up laughing, the sound echoing off the walls that remained.

When the water felt more tepid, she walked in until it was up to her chest. Even though it added more time to their trip, it was a nice stop. The water was relaxing. Soothing. Makenna swam over to the side to rest her arms on a ledge. The sun was warm on her face. She rested her cheek on her arms and closed her eyes.

_Fingers ghosted up her back. Makenna lifted her head and blinked. He was here again. And he was touching her. She knew it was a dream, but it felt real._

_His hand drifted to her shoulder and he hesitated before cupping her face. Not once had he told her his name, but he acted as if he knew her; as if he had done these things before. And it felt familiar enough to her that she leaned into his palm. What did it mean?_

_Was any of this actually real?_

_Or was this something reaching out to her? Perhaps something to protect her? She didn’t know and he didn’t divulge._

_When he leaned down, she didn’t stop him. She didn’t ask any more questions. Makenna just closed her eyes and felt his lips on hers. Warm. How were they warm here?_

_In a way, the kiss answered her question._

_He was real. And somehow, she knew him. She knew the kiss. But she couldn’t remember where or how. No matter how hard she tried to think, nothing was coming forward._

_A hand landed on her shoulder—_

She jumped.

Dorian was beside her, resting his arms on the ledge. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seem…distant…tired…” he trailed off.

She snorted. “Our sleep schedules are out of wack with this trip. Of course, I’m tired.”

“It’s not just that,” he said. “I feel like…I don’t know…that you’re not telling me everything. Like I know this trip was for your dissertation but also so you could prove to yourself that you do sense these things. Yet, I can’t get rid of this nagging feeling that you’re still hiding something.”

The dreams. She hadn’t told him about the recurring dreams she had been having. The unknown hallway. The darkness. The _something_ that was waiting for her. And him. She hadn’t told anyone about him.

Why wasn’t she telling Dorian?

He was her best friend. The person she trusted most. But she still hesitated. Why? Was she afraid he would reject what she told him? Or was she afraid to kick him into overprotective mode and he would cancel what little there was left of the trip?

Makenna shrugged. “Just some things were disappointing and some were more than I bargained for. I’m just tired.”

Dorian didn’t look wholly convinced, but he dropped it. “I never thought I’d say this, but I almost miss Val Royeaux.”

She laughed. “Careful. An Orlesian might hear you and try to convert you.”

“I shudder at the thought.”

“I suppose that means you might actually come live in the city with me,” she teased.

“Given enough wine and Antivan chocolates and I might be persuaded to come live with my best friend,” he teased back. But his expression sobered as he turned away to look out at the river that stretched in front of them. She knew he was thinking of home. And of his father.

Makenna reached over and twined her fingers in his. “It’ll be okay,” she murmured.

He sighed. “I wish I could believe that.” But he squeezed her hand. “I don’t want to see more ghosts, but I wouldn’t mind if this trip lasted for much longer.”

Going back was going to be hard for him. It meant facing his father’s decline and inevitable death. They were almost always at odds, but that didn’t mean Dorian didn’t love his father. It was hard not to love one’s parents even if they weren’t the best parents. That love meant Dorian would be by his father’s side no matter how much it would hurt in the end.

“Maybe I should accompany you back to Tevinter,” she said. “I could stay for a week or two. School is still a little over a month away.”

The corner of his lips quirked into a small smile. “That would be nice.”

They stayed like that for a few more minutes before they had to get out of the water and dry off. Makenna lounged on the grass with her eyes closed. The early afternoon sun was warm enough to dry them off in less than an hour. It was enough time that she almost dozed off again—wondering if she would see him again—but Bull and Dorian kept flirting and she was having too much fun watching them.

Bull was a good fit for Dorian even if Dorian didn’t like admitting it. Bull was solid, not just because he was huge and muscular, but he was like a rock. He provided stability to his friends. And Dorian needed stability in his life. Hell, if Dorian wasn’t interested, Makenna would’ve tried for him herself. She also needed a solid person for a partner.

“Are we ready?” She asked, looking at them.

Raina yawned. “Do we have to?”

“If we want to make it there before it’s really late, yeah,” Dorian said.

Makenna stood and began to pull her clothes back on. She didn’t quite feel like putting her shoes back on so she just grabbed them and carried them to the car with her when the others were ready. This time Dorian sat in the passenger seat. She tossed her boots in the back. Driving barefoot was no problem for her. It took Makenna a minute to pull up the map on her phone. She set her phone inside the holder and buckled in, ready to go.

Following the directions, she did a U-turn on the dirt road and followed it back to the main road. They were in the Exalted Plains. It was not a place she had visited much before, but it was beautiful with its rolling hills. She could see Halla darting in the trees.

After crossing a few bridges, they were back on the highway and heading to the Emerald Graves. Her eyes darted to the map. It was stating they would be in the graves a little after eight at night. That gave them plenty of time to stop and eat and also grab groceries before going to the Chateau. Her fingers tightened on the wheel when she thought of the chateau. Makenna was filled with a mix of excitement and foreboding.

If the place was anything like the Dedrick house, they were in for a time. Despite wanting there to be ghosts and activity, she was also dreading it. The Dedrick house proved how real and dangerous this could be. Not just for her, but for her friends. She didn’t want them to get hurt in her quest.

Halfway there, they stopped for a quick lunch from a drive-thru and ate in the parking lot. Makenna didn’t want to waste too much time and push their schedule out even further.

Everyone except her dozed off on the last half of the trip. For a while, she was alone with just the music and her thoughts. And most of her thoughts were turned towards him. She wished she had a name or something. Anything that would jog her memory.

The sun began to dip below the horizon leaving the sky full of rich reds, oranges, and purples. Despite it still being light out, she could see the moons beginning their ascension into the evening sky. 

“How close are we?” Dorian asked.

Makenna glanced at her phone. “An hour out.”

He stretched, looking out the window. “What’s the game plan?”

“Dinner first, then the store, then we go to the chateau,” she answered, ticking everything off on her fingers. “We should still have enough time to set up so we can record throughout the night.”

“How many nights are we staying?” Bull asked. She hadn’t even known he was awake.

“Three nights,” she said. “I tried to ask for more just in case, but the owner wouldn’t budge. Said no one ever made it to three nights.”

“I hate the sound of that,” Dorian grumbled.

“It is ominous,” Bull agreed.

“Maybe. Or maybe he’s playing it up because it’s a hoax,” Makenna said. “We’ll find out.”

As they neared The Emerald Graves, the forest grew thicker. The trees were a rich green and formed a canopy that made the forest floor get dark. When her parents would drive past here, she always imagined there were things in the forest that watched her. One time she got lost in the forest. But she wasn’t afraid. After all, nothing in the forest felt malicious. Her parents were still frantic when she wandered back home none the wiser, and then her mother was furious.

For the longest time, Makenna had wanted to find a home in The Graves. However, the commute to school was just too long. Perhaps when she was done with her degree—

_No._

_I’m getting married._

Her thoughts soured and she focused back on the road so she wouldn’t have to think about it any longer.

Makenna turned onto the ramp that led to the Graves and spent another ten minutes driving until the city finally loomed into view. It wasn’t a large city by any means. Most of it was historical although there were more updated streets dotted throughout. Most of the Chateaus here were considered historical sites or had been converted into libraries or museums.

Not Chateau d’Onterre.

The chateau was hidden in the forest. One had to take old dirt roads to get to it. But very few went willingly to the place. The owner often tried to rent it out to tourists, but its reputation was well known. Anyone that didn’t care about its reputation never lasted longer than three days. Makenna didn’t understand why the owner didn’t sell it. But then again, who would buy it?

Makenna pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall. There was a grocery store, a consignment shop, a dollar store, a sandwich place, a pizza place, and a Nevarran restaurant on the strip. Tired and hungry, they got out of the van and unanimously voted for the Nevarran restaurant. Makenna grabbed her shoes from the back and quickly shoved them onto her feet.

Thankfully, it wasn’t busy and they were seated right away. Makenna’s stomach grumbled as she looked over the menu. “What are you getting?” she asked Dorian.

“I’m torn between paella and albondigas,” he said, frowning at his menu.

“Why don’t we split them,” she suggested.

When the server came back to take their order, Makenna was tempted to add on a glass of wine. But she resisted. They could grab a few bottles from the store and wait until they were at the chateau to drink.

The atmosphere was warm, and it just made her tired. She wanted nothing more than to sleep right now. When the trip was over, she was going to crash hard. Good thing she had some time before school started. It was time for her to recover.

Before she could fall asleep at the table, the server returned with their order. The paella was put in front of her. The saffron-infused rice was bright and smelled of garlic, onions, and pepper. Chicken, mussels, shrimp, and strips of red pepper were mixed throughout the dish. Makenna almost regret offering to share but the albondigas in front of Dorian looked and smelled just as delicious.

At the beginning of their trip, their mealtimes were more energized. They talked and laughed. But now they were all exhausted. They were quiet and contemplative. The trip had sapped a lot of their energies as well. Next time she planned a trip, she would make it fun. To make up for this one. Maybe a resort or something. That would be nice.

The bell on the door jingled and Makenna looked up to see someone leave. All she saw was the back of his light green sweater. And the fact that he was bald. Could it be him? She shook her head. Probably not.

Dinner was filling. She was stuffed and definitely ready to sleep by the time they were finished. Maybe after they set up, they could have an early night. If the activity was as she thought, they wouldn’t need to provoke anything at all. Just have everything ready to go.

Makenna left the tip on the table as they got up to leave. They didn’t bother to go back to the car since the grocery store was a few stores away. The night air was warm, but a brisk breeze made her shiver. She had left her hoodie in the car thinking she wouldn’t need it.

The doors to the store opened and Bull grabbed the cart. “What do we need?” he asked.

“The owner said the kitchen is stocked with cookware so we just need food for the next couple of days. I think that’s it. He said he keeps the place stocked and ready to be rented.” She shrugged.

They wandered through the aisles and picked up items. Dorian had the same idea as Makenna when they walked down the wine aisle first and he picked a few bottles for them to share. Bread, eggs, sausage, bacon, and cereal went into the cart for breakfast. Raina picked through meats that were pre-seasoned for lunch and dinner, and Bull picked out easy side dishes to make.

Bull and Raina went down the dairy aisle while Dorian went ahead to the deli section to get lunch meats and cheese. Makenna wandered beside them. They had passed the frozen aisles and she was in the mood for pizza rolls. “I’ll be right back,” she said to Bull and Raina and retraced her steps.

She went down the aisle that had the frozen snacks and perused the selection. Combination…pepperoni…cheese…cheeseburger. She made a face at the last one. Opening the door, she grabbed a small bag of pepperoni and a small one of cheese. Before closing the door, she grabbed a bigger bag of the triple meat for Bull. She didn’t want him to eat all of hers.

The door closed and she looked up. She froze. In the reflection of the glass door was him. He was standing behind her with his back to her. She could see his face reflected in the glass door he was staring into. His light green sweater looked like the same one she had seen leaving the restaurant. Did that mean he was actually here?

Makenna turned. He was standing there, looking tangible. Had he noticed her? She stared at his back, unsure of what to do. As if he felt her staring, he turned his head and his eyes met hers. They just stared at each other. She expected a flash of familiarity in his gaze. Perhaps for him to say something in that smooth voice of his. But he just looked uncomfortable under her gaze.

He cleared his throat. “May I help you?” he asked.

“I know you,” she blurted.

“I’m sorry?”

Why didn’t he recognize her? Had she imagined him this whole time? Her cheeks and neck felt warm and she cleared her throat. “I’m…I know you…I think. I’ve seen you before.”

“My apologies. I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said. “I would certainly remember.”

“Makenna!”

She looked down the aisle to see Dorian with the others, waving for her to hurry up. Holding up her hand, she looked back to the stranger. “I’m sorry. I think I’ve mixed you up with someone else.” Before he could say anything, she turned away and hurried to Dorian.

“Were you flirting?” he asked, winking at her.

Makenna tossed the pizza rolls into the cart. “I’ve just made a fool of myself,” she hissed, making her way towards the checkout lane without checking to see if anyone was following her.

She just wanted to get the hell out of there.

No matter how they poked and prodded, she didn’t tell them what happened. In order for them to understand she would have to go into the dreams. And she definitely didn’t want to do that. Especially since she was apparently dreaming about someone she didn’t even know at all. She was mortified.

Dorian took over driving to the chateau while Makenna sulked in the passenger seat.

The map took them to right outside of the city and down a dark road that was cut into the forest. Halfway down, the road transitioned into a bumpy dirt road. Dorian did his best to avoid the potholes. Not that Makenna would’ve chastised him. She was too busy running the embarrassing scenario in her head over and over again.

She didn’t stop thinking about it until she could see the gate approaching through the trees and the chateau that loomed just beyond them. Dorian stopped in front of the closed gate. “How do we get in?”

Makenna grabbed her phone and opened the car door. She used the flashlight to illuminate the few steps to the gate. The place had caretakers but they refused to come at night. She shined the flashlight on a small lockbox that was attached to the gate. The code for it was in an e-mail the owner had sent. The keys were inside.

With the keys in her hand, she unlocked the gate and opened it so Dorian could drive through. She locked the gate behind them. The owner was explicit that the gate should be locked at all times to keep others out. Goddess forbid if they needed help. Emergency services wouldn’t be able to pass the gate.

Makenna shook the thought from her head and headed back to the car. She climbed in and Dorian drove up the long, circular driveway. He parked in front of the doors. No one got out at first. They just stared at the large house. And it almost seemed like the house was staring back.

“I already don’t like this,” Dorian muttered.

Bull and Raina agreed, but Makenna was silent. There was something about the house. It tugged at her. Somehow it felt like it had been waiting for her. She was out of the car first, standing at the bottom of the stone steps that led to the grand front door. The words came to her. They imprinted in her mind, but they didn’t belong to her.

_Welcome home._


	9. Close Calls

“This place is huge,” Dorian said, turning in a slow circle in the foyer. “Do we even have enough cameras for this?”

“The owner said he has security cameras we can tap into. They’re in the halls, kitchen, old servant quarters, dining room, the ballroom, the library, and the courtyard. All we have to cover is the bedrooms and any blind spots,” Makenna answered, setting her bags down on the blood red carpet.

“Let’s take this stuff to the kitchen first and then we can find our rooms,” Bull suggested.

“Good idea,” Makenna said.

The place was so large that the owner had sent her a map. She opened her e-mail and pointed out the direction they needed to go. They left their regular bags in the foyer to carry the groceries.

Portraits of the original family lined the walls. There were also depictions of historical events in Thedas. The paintings were remarkably well-preserved given their age. They passed the stairs and entered the kitchen dining room. The kitchens were right off to the side. And they were huge. Of course, they would be given how large the place and how many guests could stay at one time. But she was still surprised.

They set the bags down on the breakfast nook table to unpack them. While Raina and Dorian put away the refrigerated goods, Bull and Makenna chose an empty shelf to put the dry goods. When finished, they shoved all the bags inside of one bag and put it off to the side in case they needed them.

“The bedrooms we’re staying in are the ones the original family stayed in, not the guest bedrooms,” she said as they walked back to the foyer.

“Oh goody,” Dorian muttered.

“What even happened to the original family?” Raina asked.

The bags were where they left them and Makenna grabbed hers and one of the equipment bags. “No one’s quite sure really. There were journal entries scattered around the estate but they were described as the ramblings of a mad man.” She led them up the stairs. “But from what they could piece together it seemed there was something strange with their daughter so they kept her away from the public. Strange things started to happen and they felt something was coming for them. It was about a month before their bodies were found.”

“Sounds familiar,” Bull pipped up.

“Do you think this is another Abigail Dedrick situation?” Dorian asked.

Makenna frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe. There’s little information about the original family left.”

The stairs led to the library. The shelves were as tall as the ceiling and filled with books. Some of them were in a case. Probably to keep them from rotting. She doubted the owner would want them to touch those. But there were plenty books left to look at. There were even some open and on display. Tables were squeezed in between the shelves, sitting under the tall windows.

This place would make one hell of a museum.

There was a door hidden behind the last bookshelf on the right. It led to the family’s bedrooms. There were three. A master suite, and two smaller bedrooms. Two of the bedrooms were connected by a washroom and the third had its own. A feature the owner updated. He was certainly proud of it in the e-mails he had sent her. There were a lot of things he had updated, but it didn’t matter. Chateau d’Onterre wasn’t selling.

Makenna stepped through the doorway and paused. The hallway stretched out in front of her. There were votives on either side of her. This was it. This was the place she had been dreaming of. She was sure of it.

Ice slid down her spine.

_We should go._

The words danced on the tip of her tongue. She didn’t know why. It could just be a coincidence. But she knew that wasn’t true. Chateau d’Onterre had indeed been waiting for her. If she turned tail and ran now, she would never know why.

“Makenna?” Dorian asked.

She turned to him. “Hm?”

“I asked which rooms are we staying in?” he repeated, worry drawing his eyebrows downward.

“Oh.” She looked back down the hallway. Her eyes were consistently drawn to the master. In her dreams, it was always shrouded in the darkness. “I’m staying in the last room on the left,” she answered.

“I guess we’ll pick from the other two,” Bull said, his expression similar to Dorian’s.

Makenna nodded. “We can drop off our stuff and then figure out how we’re going to set up the cameras.” She hadn’t even finished speaking when she started walking towards the bedroom.

The dark cherry wood of the door looked warm, but it was cold to the touch. The ornate metal knob was even colder as she turned it. Makenna wasn’t quite sure what she expected when the door opened. Answers. A ghost. Something. But it just looked like a normal room. It was slightly chilly, but other than that, didn’t seem ominous. She reached in, feeling along the wall until she found a light switch with several switches. Flicking on one, it bathed the roomed in a warm yellow light from the chandelier above.

On her left was a large wooden desk with an antique chair. The wood looked freshly polished. The upholstery on the chair was covered with a thin veneer of plastic to keep it from rotting. There were shelves behind the desk as well as to the right. Even more books were on these shelves, as well as old preserved papers, and trinkets.

Makenna climbed the two steps up to the area with the large four-poster canopy bed. The canopy was a deep burgundy with gold stitching. It was incredibly ornate. Braided rope held the canopy to the bedposts. The comforter and pillows matched.

Her shoes sank into the plush red carpet on the floor. To her left was a dark fireplace. Over the fireplace was a family portrait. She guessed it was of the original family. Beside the fireplace was a door that probably led to the washroom. She set down her bag in front of the bed.

Raina was behind her and set her bag down beside Makenna. She walked to the door and opened it, flicking on the light to the washroom. “I think this leads to the other room,” she called back to Makenna.

Sure enough, when Makenna walked over to look inside, she saw a door on the opposite side. The knob turned and the door swung inward. Dorian poked his head into the bathroom and waved at them. “I guess we’ll be taking this room then,” he said. “I’d prefer to be close.”

Bull came up behind Dorian and looked in, letting out a low whistle. “This bathroom is huge.”

There was a full vanity on the front wall with a large three-sided mirror. Each mirror had lights embedded. Old makeup and perfume sat on the top. Probably for a nice effect. Makenna doubted any of it was safe to use.

There was a separate small room for the toilet that was hidden behind a sliding door. Beyond that was a large jacuzzi bathtub and opposite was a large tiled shower with a glass door. There were three showerheads inside. The walls were a light seafoam and the flooring was marble with gold threaded throughout. The owner certainly went for the opulent route.

Makenna pulled out her phone to check the time. It was almost ten. “Let’s set up the cameras,” she said.

They met back in the hallway. Makenna pulled her laptop from the equipment bag and turned it on. When she pulled up the security cameras, she would be able to tell where cameras would be needed. While she did that Raina set up a camera in the room they were sharing and Bull and Dorian set up a camera in their room. She set her laptop off to the side and let the cameras load. In the meantime, she grabbed a camera and set it up at the end of the hall, making sure to get the door to her room in view. Maybe nothing would happen. But she didn’t want to take that chance.

It took them two hours to finish setting up. Mostly because the chateau was huge and dark and creepy and none of them wanted to go to a room alone. But there were cameras in the ballroom, the dining room, the library, and a study.

The entire time they worked Makenna felt nothing. Yet, there was still a sliver of unease. Like she felt nothing because whatever it was didn’t want to be detected. Not yet. Whatever it was—or wasn’t—it felt like a void. Or perhaps the house was the void and the thing that resided here was hiding in it.

When finished, they ended up back in the kitchen. Raina filled a kettle with water and set it on the stovetop to boil. Makenna sat at the kitchen table with her laptop open. She flipped through the cameras to check them all.

Dorian set a tray down on the table with four teacups and matching saucers on it, a sugar bowl, and a small pitcher of cream. “Is everything working?” he asked, sitting down next to her.

She nodded. “Everything is good and recording.” She switched to the security cameras. They were working fine as well.

“What do you make of the place so far?” Dorian asked.

“I don’t know.” Makenna frowned. “I can’t get a good read on the place.”

The kettle whistled and Raina took it off the stove. Carrying it over to the table, she set it down on the tray. She took the seat next to Dorian. Bull joined them with a package of chocolate frosted donuts. He opened the bag and set them in the middle.

“What do you mean you can’t get a read?” Bull asked, taking a bite of a donut.

Makenna sighed. “Like this place is creepy and looks haunted. But I don’t feel anything…at all. Just dead space.”

“I take it that’s not normal?”

“No. Even places that aren’t haunted have some kind of energy. But not here.” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I like it,” she admitted.

Dorian poured her a cup and pushed it over to her. “Do you think we should leave?”

Makenna closed her laptop and added cream and sugar to her tea. “Honestly, it makes me curious. I don’t want to leave yet.”

“If it gets anything like the Dedrick house, I’m not sure I want to stay,” Dorian said, taking a sip of his own tea.

“I know. If it gets bad, we’ll go,” she promised. Makenna reached for a donut.

“Since it's quiet, does this mean we get to go to bed early?” Raina asked.

Makenna laughed around her donut, taking a moment to swallow before answering. “Yeah. I’m ready for bed too. And I wouldn’t mind trying out that tub.”

“Same here,” Dorian agreed.

“I’ll take the deep end,” she joked.

“What about us?” Bull asked, gesturing between him and Raina.

“We’re here for a few days. We’ll each have a chance to try it out,” Makenna promised.

Thirty minutes later they had cleaned up the table and washed what they had used. The donuts were resealed and set back in the cupboard. Makenna trudged up the stairs beside Raina. She was ready for some good sleep. And the bed looked soft enough. It might actually happen.

She and Raina bid the other two good night and stepped into the room. They changed into their pajamas, leaving their dirty clothes on the floor. Makenna would pick hers up in the morning. They turned down the covers. She sheets were soft and supple. The gold tone matched the stitching in the canopy.

“Is it weird if we sleep with the light on?” Raina asked.

“If you want to, I’ll leave it on. Or we can turn on the bathroom light and leave the door open,” Makenna said, setting her phone down on the bedside table.

“Bathroom door works.”

Raina walked around the bed and flicked the light on the bedroom while Makenna walked down the steps to turn off the overhead lights. The bathroom light was just enough. It made the room look less menacing.

They climbed under the sheets. Makenna yawned as her head hit the pillow. Even though she was tired, she was hesitant to fall asleep. What if she dreamed? What if it was bad? What if he—whoever he was—was there? Yet she felt her eyes flutter closed.

“Goodnight Makenna,” Raina said.

“G’night,” Makenna mumbled.

A low giggle in her ear woke her.

Makenna was curled on her side with the blankets pulled up to her chin. Looking over at Raina, she saw the woman was also on her side and facing Makenna. She watched the rise and fall of Raina’s chest. There was no doubt she was still asleep. And not laughing.

She rolled over and stared blearily towards the bathroom door. The light was still on. She didn’t hear anyone in there. Maybe she was just hearing things. She was incredibly tired after all.

Settling back into the mattress, she closed her eyes once more. Her breathing began to even back out and she felt sleep dragging her back under.

The laugh was louder this time and her eyes opened immediately. Her heart bounced around in her chest. Makenna sat up, her gaze sweeping across the room. It was empty. She looked over at Raina again. Still asleep. So who was laughing?

Makenna kicked off the blankets and slid out of bed. Grabbing her phone, she turned on the flashlight and moved it around the corners of the room where the light from the bathroom didn’t touch. Still nothing. She paused as the light went over the door. It was open. She was certain Raina had closed it the night before.

_I should wake someone._

Shaking her head, she moved to the door. She was probably wrong about Raina closing it. That was all. She would close it and just go back to bed. Her fingers closed around the knob. That’s when she heard the laughter again. It was farther away. She poked her head out the door and used the flashlight to see. All she saw was the camera.

There was nothing there.

_Go back to bed._

That would be the better idea. The one that would cause the least amount of trouble. But Makenna wasn’t known for staying out of trouble.

She padded down the hallway. Stopping in the doorway she shined the light into the library. But there were too many shelves and nooks and crannies to see anything well. Her hand moved across the wall to feel for a light switch. Did the library even have one? She didn’t remember seeing one. When she felt nothing, she frowned. Guess she was going in without an overhead light.

Makenna stepped inside the library and moved the light over the first row of shelves. And once again, there was nothing. At this point, she was certain she had been dreaming. Maybe she had wanted something to happen so badly that she was hallucinating the laughter. She needed to go back to sleep.

Turning her back to the library, she heard it again. This time when Makenna turned around—flashlight in hand—she saw a flash blonde hair and blue dress disappear down the stairs. _Gotcha_. Makenna charged towards the stairs ready to catch whoever it was. Perhaps it was a local child that was pranking them. Maybe it was a ghost. She was going to find out.

But when she reached the top of the stairs she froze. The stairs disappeared into an inky blackness below. Her own flashlight didn’t even penetrate it. And she felt something staring back at her.

This was a trap.

She knew it beyond a doubt.

_We need to leave._

Makenna backed away from the stairs to leave. But it was too late. A tendril reached out of the darkness, wrapping around her left ankle. It was so cold it burned her skin. Makenna cried out in pain.

It pulled, making her lose her balance. She fell backward. Instead of landing on the hard floor, she hit a body. Arms wrapped around her waist to keep her steady. Turning her head, she saw who it was. It was him again. Normally he looked aloof in her dreams. Not this time. He looked scared.

“Wake up,” he urged.

It didn’t work this time. She didn’t wake up. Or maybe this wasn’t a dream at all.

The tendril tried to pull her down the stairs, but he wasn’t giving up. He dug his feet in and tightened his grip around her waist. “Wake up,” he repeated.

_Wake up. Wake up. Wakeup. Wakeup. Wakeup._

Makenna woke up with a gasp. Looking around, she made sure she was still in her bed. Raina was snoring softly beside her. So it was a dream after all. One that had felt incredibly real. He had felt real.

Reaching over for her phone, she tapped the home screen. The time showed up on the screen. It was only six in the morning. Makenna groaned. There was no way she was going back to sleep now. She carefully sat up so she didn’t disturb Raina.

The sheet scraped across her ankle and Makenna winced. Lifting the blanket, she swung her legs over onto the floor. Even in the faint bathroom light she could see the bright red welts on the skin of her ankle and calve. It matched what happened in the dream.

Makenna stood. She was going to wake Dorian and tell him they were packing up and leaving. This was too intense for her. And too dangerous. She didn’t see this ending well.

_If you leave, you’ll never know._

Makenna paused halfway to the bathroom. If they left now, she would never know why she was dreaming of this place. And what exactly lingered here. Perhaps the dreams wouldn’t stop. Ever. Then this would’ve been for nothing.

But if Dorian saw her leg—if he knew about the dream—there was no way he would want to stay.

She had a choice to make.

Lie and pretend nothing had happened and cover the marks. Or tell him the truth and try to convince him to stay anyway.

Makenna sighed.

She turned to make sure Raina was still sleeping before she walked over to her bag to rifle through her clothes. Two minutes later she was wearing a pair of leggings that covered her leg and a pair of socks. It wasn’t comfortable. The fabric rubbed the welts and she bit back a sound. But she had to make it work in order to stay.

Walking back to the bed, she grabbed her phone from the table. She needed coffee.

The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. The tall windows let it a lot of light. And the chateau looked a little less scary with all of the light. But the stairs were still dark. She swallowed her fear down and used her phone to descend.

Nothing happened. Nothing grabbed her.

She let out a breath when she reached the bottom. Safe.

Makenna continued to the kitchen. The tile under her feet was cold, even through her socks, but the sun filled with the room with warmth. She walked over to the counter and set down her phone. Reaching for the coffee pot, she plugged it into the wall and removed the carafe to fill it with water. She sat it in the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet. While it filled, she grabbed the can of coffee from the cupboard.

A noise in the hallway made her pause and she turned to the doorway. Dorian’s mussed hair came into view. She relaxed. He squinted at her. “Why are you up so early?” his question punctuated by a yawn.

“Couldn’t get back to sleep,” she answered, turning back to the coffee maker to finish setting it up.

“Dreams?” he asked.

Makenna pushed the on button and turned to him. “Yeah. Decided I need some coffee after.”

“Were they bad?” He eyed her warily.

She weighed her answer. If she lied, he would be angry if he found out. If she didn’t, then he might insist they leave. She hated both options. “It was weird. Not bad,” she finally said.

Dorian hummed.

“So…” she trailed off, itching to change the subject. “How did you and Bull sleep?”

He raised an eyebrow. “We slept fine. Why do you want to know?”

She shrugged. “I just want to know you’re comfortable. That you didn’t absolutely hate bunking with him during the entire trip.”

“It’s…nice,” Dorian admitted. “Sometimes we talk.”

The coffeemaker beeped and Makenna turned to grab two cups from the shelf. “Talk?” she prodded.

“Yes, talk.”

“And?”

“I told him about my father and sobbed into his large manly chest,” Dorian deadpanned. “Is that what you want to hear?”

Makenna filled the coffee cups and carried them to the table. “You did, didn’t you?” She made her way back to grab the creamer and sugar.

He sighed. “I did.”

“Did you feel better?” She set them down on the table before pulling out the chair next to Dorian.

“Yes,” he murmured. “And it sucks.”

Makenna made her coffee light and sweet and took a sip. “Why?”

“Because when this is over, I go back to Tevinter and he goes…wherever he goes.” Dorian added sugar to his coffee. “I like him…a lot…but this won’t work not matter how much I would like it too.”

“Our friendship works,” she reminded him.

“That’s different.” He clasped his coffee cup in between his hands. “While I miss you often, we aren’t intimate. I…want to be able to do things with a person, I want them close. Long-distance just doesn’t work for what I need.”

She frowned. “Why don’t you ask Bull to come with you.”

Dorian scoffed.

“What are you afraid of? That he’ll say no?” she asked. “Or are you scared he’ll say yes?”

“I suppose I’m afraid of the same thing you are,” he replied.

“What’s that?”

“Going home and being a disappointment.” Dorian raised his mug to his lips and took a drink. “You’re afraid to go home and call off your marriage even though you’re miserable. And I don’t want to flaunt the fact that I will never be with a woman to preserve our bloodline while my father is dying.”

Makenna grimaced. The coffee in her mouth soured. “Ouch,” she mumbled.

Dorian set his cup down and reached for her hand, clasping it in his own. “But…I promise to ask Bull if you promise to tell your mother you don’t want to marry Kiernan.”

Fear flared in her stomach. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She was already a disappointment. Doing that would just make it worse. But she also really didn’t want to marry Kiernan. She didn’t like him. She didn’t like his family. And she wanted no part of it.

Dorian offered his pinky. With a frown, Makenna looped her pinky around his. “Deal,” she grumbled even though she wasn’t sure if she would. Although, with her friend’s happiness in the balance, she might be willing to risk.

He knew what he was doing.

They heard the others on the stairs and Makenna let go of his pinky with a sigh. “Let’s start breakfast.”

Makenna wandered the courtyard. The grass almost came up to her knees. It tickled her through the leggings. Wildflowers sprouted everywhere and the gardens were overrun with weeds. The caretakers must not care much about the courtyard. Or perhaps they liked it this way.

She crouched down beside the small pool. The water wasn’t entirely clear, but it looked cool and inviting. The sun—high up in the sky now—beat down on her. Beads of sweat trickled from her forehead and her leggings felt like they were stuck to her legs.

Looking around to make sure she was alone, Makenna pulled off her socks and rolled the leggings up to her knee. The welts were no longer bright red. They had faded to light pink.

She stepped down into the water. It almost came up to her knees. She sat down on the ledge, enjoying the sun on her face and her feet in the cool water. Closing her eyes, she reclined back on her elbows.

“You should leave.”

She didn’t have to open her eyes to know it was him. Whoever he was. Makenna shrugged, intent on ignoring him.

He sighed. “You know this place is dangerous to you and yet you stay. Why?”

“No, I don’t know,” she argued, opening her eyes. “Why don’t you tell me?”

He was sitting beside her with his legs in the water. “Makenna—”

“How do you know my name? Just who are you exactly? Why are you in my dreams? Are you even real?”

He huffed. “I can only answer one question at a time.”

“You haven’t answered any questions,” she shot back. “And frankly, the mysterious stranger thing has lost its appeal.”

“I can explain—”

“I wish you would!” Makenna stood up.

Movement by the entrance to the kitchens drew her eye. Dorian walked inside, looking like he was in a hurry. She frowned. Was something wrong? She took a step forward, but his hand on her wrist made her pause.

“Don’t follow,” he warned.

She rolled her eyes. “He’s my friend. I’m going to go check on him.”

“Makenna—”

“I’ll argue with you later,” she said, dismissing him with a wave and crossing the pool to get to the other side.

She padded across the tall grass and stepped onto the stone patio. The door to the kitchen was sitting open. She didn’t see Dorian anywhere inside. Maybe he went to a different room? Slipping slightly on the tile, she gripped the counter to keep herself upright. She was careful as she moved through the rest of the kitchen.

There was so sign of him in the hall either. “Dorian!” she called his name, walking towards the foyer.

Makenna stepped into the foyer and froze. A little girl with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes was standing by the front door. Her light blue dress was crisp as if it had been ironed that morning. A blue ribbon held her hair up from her face. Was this the little girl that had woken her? It seemed so.

The girl beckoned to her and Makenna moved without thinking. A smile broke out on the girl’s face. She reached for Makenna’s hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong for a child. With a tug, she was leading Makenna out the front door.

They walked past the car and through the gate that Makenna had sworn she had locked the night before. The girl led her through grass and flowers and even across a small river. Her legs began to burn as they trudged up a hill. Where was the girl leading her?

The girl didn’t stop until they were at the top of the hill. The girl pointed to a cluster of Crystal Grace growing through some rocks. She wanted flowers? Makenna shrugged. The girl let go of her hand and Makenna walked to the outcropping. She reached, her fingers grazing the petals.

“Makenna!”

A panicked shout from below made her look down.

_Oh._

Bull, Dorian, and Raina were standing near the river below and staring up in alarm and sheer horror. Makenna was teetering on the edge of the cliff. Her hand was still outstretched to reach for the flowers. A strangled gasp escaped her throat. There was nothing to grab onto.

She was going to fall.

Feeling herself tip forward, she closed her eyes. _Fuck!_

A hand encircled her wrist and pulled her backward. Makenna’s stomach flipped as she was pulled in a different direction. Unable to catch herself, she stumbled back into something very solid and they went crashing to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Makenna groaned into the fabric of someone’s shirt. Her cheek was resting against their chest, moving up and down as they breathed. Scrapes on her hands and knees stung. After taking a moment she finally moved to look at them, thank them for saving her life.

She wasn’t expecting him.

Very solid, very warm, very _real_.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his breathing ragged.

Confusion was swallowed by anger. He _did_ know her. He _was_ real.

And he had lied.


	10. Wolves With Teeth

They stared at each other for—what felt like—an indeterminate amount of time. Her anger turned into disbelief turned back into anger. Using his chest as leverage, she pushed herself up on her knees. The breath whooshed out of his lungs. She didn’t care. “You—”

“Makenna!”

She shot up at the sound of Dorian yelling for her. _Fuck_. There was no way she could explain this away. Still, she rolled down her pants legs and stood up in time for him to make it to the top of the hill. His face was white as a sheet—she had never seen him look like that before. Bull and Raina were right behind him.

He grasped her elbows. “What were you thinking? Are you okay? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” He shook her slightly.

“What happened?” Bull asked.

“I was reaching for the Crystal Grace,” she said, not technically a lie. “And I stumbled. He,” –she gestured to the stranger with a wave of her hand— “saved me.”

Dorian peered around her. The man was standing now, wiping bits of grass from his pants. “Solas?”

He looked up and regarded Dorian for a moment. “Dorian.”

“You know him?” she asked.

Dorian stared at her. “You don’t remember him?”

“Should I?”

Dorian tugged her close. “Imagine him with long hair and a wolf mask that covers the top half of his face,” he suggested.

Makenna stared at him, and he stared back. Long hair? And a wolf mask? How did that make sense? Had she met him before on Samhain? No. People wore wolf masks all the time then. One person wouldn’t have stood out to her.

“Halamshiral,” Dorian prodded her.

She had been to Halamshiral many times. Mostly for balls and diplomatic affairs. She had met many people during those times. But she hadn’t been to Halamshiral in seven years. Despite her mother’s disapproval, Makenna had used school as an excuse not to go. And the last time she had gone she had a fight with her mother about her betrothal. She was so angry she had blown off steam by making out with a man in a closet…oh…

A man with long hair and a wolf mask.

Solas.

Mythal’s son.

Not that she had known—or cared—at that time.

How could she forget?

Makenna scrubbed her hands down her face. Not only had he known her from the dreams, but he knew her from before. _You haven’t changed_. He had said that to her and she didn’t understand. Now that she did, she was mortified. Anger bubbled up again.

“Jerk,” she spat and turned on her heel to stalk down the hill.

She didn’t check if anyone was following her. She didn’t care. Her face and neck were flush with embarrassment. Anger sat in her stomach like a pit. It made her want to throw up. She curled her hands into fists to keep them from shaking. All he had to do was tell her who he was. Instead, he made her question what she was seeing.

It was bullshit.

The door was still open and she stormed inside. Her feet carried her past the stairs and out to the courtyard. She didn’t really have an idea of where she wanted to go. But she stopped when she reached the ballroom. Why she stopped here, she didn’t know, but it away from Solas and that was good enough for her.

While in the room, she decided to check the camera. There wasn’t really a need to. She just wanted a moment. A chance to breathe and reevaluate. Solas may be a jerk, but he was right. This place was clearly dangerous to her. And if it was dangerous to her, it could be dangerous for her friends. Was staying worth their safety?

Hearing her footsteps behind her—she assumed they belonged to Dorian—she sighed and called out, “I’m fine. Sorry for scaring you.”

The footsteps stopped. They cleared their throat awkwardly and she froze. It was him. She just knew it.

“I…owe you an apology,” Solas said.

Makenna stared at the camera. She was silent.

“I panicked,” he admitted. “When I saw you in the store, I hadn’t realized…I wasn’t sure if it was really you I had been dreaming of.”

She scoffed.

“I know how it sounds. But I thought perhaps it was a spirit that was using your visage as a way to draw me in.” She heard him shift behind her. “When I saw you, I realized that wasn’t true.”

“Why would a spirit wear my face?” she asked, still not looking at him.

Solas cleared his throat again. “I…” he trailed off.

Makenna looked at him then. The tips of his ears were red. And he was not making eye contact. It couldn’t be? Did he carry a torch for her after all these years? What were the odds? Makenna’s mouth twitched as she tried not to smirk. All they had done was make out in a closet. Albeit…if memory served her well, he was a very good kisser.

“Thank you,” Makenna murmured. “For saving me.”

“You’re welcome,” he answered, seemingly relieved for the change in direction.

“How did you get to me so fast?” she asked.

Solas opened the satchel on his hip and produced a sketchpad. “I was nearby. I had dozed off and when I saw you following the spirit, I woke up to see you walking up the hill.”

“What a coincidence.”

“Not so,” he admitted. “I was close because I wanted to see you. Apologize and tell you the truth. But I—”

“Chickened out?”

Solas chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I suppose.”

Makenna wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m sorry for calling you a jerk.”

“I did deserve it.”

She laughed. “You did save my life,” she reminded him. “More than once.”

Solas’ eyes strayed down to her leg. “Does it hurt?” he asked.

She shrugged. “A little.”

He beckoned for her to sit on the windowsill. Makenna raised an eyebrow but obliged. Kneeling in front of her, he opened his satchel again and pulled out a small jar. “I brought this as well. Just in case.” He rolled her leggings up to look at the marks on her skin. Solas unscrewed the lid on the jar and dipped his finger inside. The way he rubbed the salve into her skin was methodical and precise. Her skin tingled and then felt numb.

“What’s in it?” she asked.

“Embrium and elfroot. I make it myself,” he answered, sitting back on his heels. “Feel better?” He looked up at her, making her realize how close he was. Not just because he was actually in reality. But his face was a foot away from her own.

And she remembered the kiss.

“Solas…”

“Hm?”

“If you weren’t sure it was me, why did you kiss me at the baths?” she asked.

“I—”

“Why would a spirit wearing my face appeal to you?”

His ears reddened again. She watched his mouth open and close, but it seemed he didn’t know what to say. Gently, he rolled her leggings back down and stood up. Perhaps he wasn’t going to answer her at all.

But he pulled his phone out his pocket. She watched him as he tapped the screen. After a minute, soft instrumental music poured out of the speaker. Makenna raised an eyebrow. Maybe the music helped him gather his thoughts? She wasn’t sure.

He set the phone on the windowsill and held out his hand. She tamped down her nervous laughter. Even though she didn’t have any idea what he was doing, she took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Leading her to the center of the dance floor, he stopped and wrapped his arm around her back while keeping her other hand firmly in his.

“What do you remember about the ball that year?” he asked, leading her into the steps that she knew well even though it had been years.

Her mother had made her practice them enough.

“A little. Mostly how much I was tired of them,” she admitted.

He nodded. “So was I. I was bored. Ready to leave and strike out on my own,” he said, echoing her own feelings. “And then there was you.”

“The kiss?”

Solas shook his head. “Not just that.” His fingers pressed into her back. “You walked in the room and all I could see was you. You were like a beacon. You still are.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “A beacon?”

“You shine, Makenna. In reality. In the Fade. It’s no wonder spirits flock to you. Or that you attract danger like a magnet.”

“I’m not sure if I should be insulted by that last statement.”

Solas chuckled. “I did not mean it as one,” he promised.

They danced in silence for a moment. Makenna noticed they were closing the distance between them. She did nothing to stop it. Not even when his face was inches from hers.

“I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you that entire weekend,” he whispered.

Red crept up her throat and colored her cheeks. “I suppose you saw me spike the punch then,” she joked, but her response was breathy.

Solas smiled. “I did. I asked you to dance shortly after. I could tell you were agitated, full of energy that wasn’t going anywhere. When you led me away, I could do nothing but follow.”

He was describing her as if she was some trickster goddess and to be honest…she was digging it.

“I had just fought with my mother,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to act prim and proper like she expected.”

“You succeeded.”

Makenna laughed. “I suppose I did.”

“My mother saw I was taken with you—”

“Mythal?”

He nodded. “She had been wanting to explore options with your family. I gave her the opportunity, but the announcement—”

“My engagement,” Makenna murmured.

“Yes.” His voice was soft and low. “We…I was disappointed.”

Makenna’s laugh was tinged with bitterness. “Me too.”

Solas stopped. His hand moved up her back and over her shoulder. It didn’t stop until his palm was resting on her cheek. His thumb smoothed over her cheekbone. With half-lidded eyes and parted lips, he leaned down. Makenna felt herself raising up onto the balls of her feet to meet him halfway.

Why?

They barely knew each other and yet…

She didn’t care.

It just felt right.

He was tentative at first. His lips barely brushed against hers. As if he was afraid she might reject him. After all, they were still technically strangers to each other. But Makenna wasn’t afraid to kiss strangers. Especially not ones with a pull like Solas had.

Tilting her head to the side, she urged him on. Such a small thing made him come alive with ferocity. Now it was just how she remembered. Mouths clashing—this time in the daylight instead of in the dark—until lips were red and bruised. Solas’ fingers tangled in her hair, his nails scratching her scalp. Hers tangled in the collar of his shirt.

They kissed like they were trying to devour each other.

“Must’ve been one hell of an apology,” a voice rang out from the entrance.

They pulled apart just enough to look. Dorian was standing in the doorway look as if he didn’t know whether to disapprove or be impressed. Bull was lingering behind with a grin on his face. “We came to get you for lunch,” Bull said.

“If you can manage to stop sucking face of course,” Dorian added.

Makenna grimaced. She hated that term. And he knew that. “We’ll be there in a minute,” she hissed.

“I won’t hold my breath.”

They disappeared down the hall. It gave Makenna enough time to catch her breath again. Solas was still close for a second before he—reluctantly—stepped back.

“What have you told your friends?” Solas asked.

“Not much,” she admitted. “Not about the dreams and not about what I feel here.”

“You should tell them.”

She sighed. “I know. And I will. But I know they’ll talk me into leaving.”

“As they should. It isn’t safe for you here,” Solas reminded her.

“I want my answers, Solas. My proof. Just because I walk away doesn’t mean this place will stop haunting my dreams.” Makenna smoothed her hands down the front of his shirt. “You could stay…”

He quirked an eyebrow. “You are incredibly stubborn—"

“Thank you.” Makenna grinned.

Solas shook his head. “Fine,” he agreed. “I will stay.”

After lunch, Solas left to pack an overnight bag. Makenna worried that he wouldn’t return. But an hour later he was back. He took the third room. While he settled in, Makenna fixed herself another cup of coffee in the kitchen. Her laptop was sitting open on the table, music playing softly on the speakers.

_You hover like a hummingbird_

_Haunt me in my sleep_

_You're sailing from another world_

_Sinking in my sea, oh_

_You're feeding on my energy_

_I'm letting go of it_

_She wants it_

Dorian was sitting at the table beside the laptop. Perhaps he thought he was being subtle, but he kept staring at Makenna. The worry was plain on his face. It was in the wrinkles on his forehead. Makenna carried her cup over to the table. “Do I have something on my face?” she asked.

“What?”

“You’re staring at me, Dorian. Why?”

“You were just picking flowers…” he trailed off, crossing his arms over his chest.

Makenna swallowed.

Dorian sighed. “And then Solas just shows up in time to keep you from falling to your death. One hell of a coincidence.”

“Just ask your damn question, Dorian,” Makenna snapped.

“How long are you going to keep lying to us?”

Makenna scrubbed her hand down her face. She didn’t have a good enough answer for that.

“This whole trip has been weird. You’ve been acting strange this entire trip,” he continued. “I thought you were doing this because you still felt you had something to prove, but it’s clear something else has been driving you. What is it?”

Makenna took a sip of her coffee. “I’ve been having dreams.”

“That’s nothing new.”

She shook her head. “These are different. They started months ago. They’re not scary or anything, it’s just the same thing over and over,” she said. “I’m standing in a hallway. It’s dark and there’s a darkness at the end. I can’t see anything, but I know something is staring at me. I can feel it…waiting.”

“And you what…planned this trip to find it?” he asked.

“I did find it. It’s here.”

Dorian froze. “And you didn’t tell us this because…?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t know what I was looking for and I didn’t know if you would believe me—”

“I have always believed you,” he cut her off. “You know that. And you know if you had told me, I wouldn’t have agreed to any of this.”

Makenna worried her bottom lip with her teeth. He wasn’t wrong.

“There are some things we shouldn’t look for,” he continued. “This is one of them.”

Her fingers tightened around her coffee cup. “It’s not that easy,” she argued.

Dorian scoffed.

“It isn’t,” she insisted. “You go to places and you’re perfectly fine. I go to a place and any spirit there is clamoring for my attention. They invade my dreams whenever they want. Sometimes they try to climb in my body. Somedays my dreams and reality blend seamlessly together and I can’t tell which is which. Ignoring the dreams wouldn’t have done anything to stop them.”

“And you think being here will?”

“Maybe,” she said. “Or maybe I can at least understand why this is happening. Find out what’s here and what it wants with me.”

Dorian sighed. “You still should’ve told us.”

“You’re right,” she murmured. “And I’m sorry I didn’t.”

Dorian reached for her cup and she handed it over. He took a few sips before setting the cup down. “At least it’s all out in the open now.”

Makenna winced. “There’s something else.”

“Kaffas.”

“I’ve been dreaming about Solas too. He kept August Dedrick from coming after me at the Dedrick house. And he kept whatever is here from getting me last night—”

“Last night?”

Makenna swung her legs around and lifted up her pant leg. Dorian swore again, staring at the faded marks. “Is that why he’s here?”

“I don’t know why he’s in the Emerald Graves, but it’s why I invited him to stay with us until we’re done. Solas seems to know a lot about this. And I feel safer with him here.”

Dorian raised an eyebrow. “That’s the only reason?”

She felt red creep up her neck. “Not really,” she mumbled but didn’t explain further. Thankfully, with Dorian she didn’t have to. He knew a crush when he saw one. But this time, there was also an added layer of confusion. This was someone she knew before. Someone who knew she was engaged. And yet, he kissed her anyway.

The sound of footsteps behind them made them turn to the door. Raina walked into the room with her hair wrapped into a towel. “What?” she asked when she realized they were staring.

“Nothing,” Makenna answered, shaking her head.

“Bath is free if you want to take one,” Raina said, walking over to the coffee pot. “Bull called it for later.”

Makenna stood, nudging the rest of her coffee to Dorian. “I better take the opportunity now then.”

Speaking of Bull, Makenna passed him on her way up the stairs. He waved as he headed down towards the kitchens. Solas must be settled in his room then. Makenna wondered if she should pop in and see how he was, but the thought of doing so made her nervous. The fact that he had crushed on her for years was surprising. Especially after a chance meeting. Other than seeing ghosts, Makenna didn’t feel there was anything remarkable about her. Nothing that would hold a person’s attention for so long.

Or maybe he was lying and had an ulterior motive.

She hoped it wasn’t that.

Makenna passed his room—the door was shut and she heard nothing behind it—and continued into her own. The curtains were open to let in the afternoon light. The room certainly looked less intimidating lit up, but it still felt wrong to her.

Rifling through her duffel bag, she grabbed her toiletries and a change of clothes. She also took her phone into the bathroom and started one of her ambient playlists before setting it down on the sink. The door was left open…just in case.

Makenna piled her hair into a messy bun and secured it so it wouldn’t get wet. While the tub filled with water, she stepped into the shower and quickly washed off. The music kept it from feeling too quiet. And she tried not to think about how far away everyone else was.

_Everything’s fine._

She shut off the shower and stepped out. The bath was almost full.

_Nothing’s going to happen._

Makenna dipped her fingers in the water. The temperature was perfect. She closed the taps and stepped into the bath. Water lapped at her knee. It was a deeper tub than she thought. Carefully, she lowered herself into the water. It came all the way up to her chin.

For the first few minutes, her eyes darted to the open door as if she expected something to come through it. When nothing did, she finally allowed herself to relax. _See?_ Letting out a breath, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

She could fall asleep like this.

_OPEN MY CHEST AND COLOR MY SPINE_

_I’M GIVING YOU ALL_

_I’M GIVING YOU ALL_

_SWALLOW MY BREATH_

_AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE_

_I’M GIVING YOU ALL_

_I’M GIVING YOU ALL_

Makenna sat up. The song blared from her phone at the highest volume. It wasn’t even on her playlist. She braced her hands on either side of the tub to push herself up but paused. The door she had purposefully left open was shut. Her heart thudded against her sternum. “Hello?” she called out, no louder than the song.

The song stopped.

Her hands trembled. If she screamed, she wasn’t sure anyone would come. They probably wouldn’t even hear her. She should’ve listened to Solas.

Minutes ticked by. Nothing else happened. Maybe that was it?

Makenna began to push herself up again. There was no way she wanted to stay here by herself any longer.

_AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE_

_AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE_

_AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE_

_AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE_

The song skipped, playing the same lyric over and over again. Her blood ran cold. She needed to get the hell out of here. But as she tried to exit the bathtub, she felt something grip the same foot that had been grabbed the night before. The touch seared her skin. She cried out. It yanked.

She didn’t even have time to draw breath before she was pulled under the water.

Losing her grip, Makenna clawed at the sides trying to find the leverage to pull herself up. Her lungs screamed for air. Bubbles burst from her lips as the little she had was escaping her. Something pressed down on her chest. Like it was trying to keep her still.

Like it was trying to kill her.

_Help me._

She saw something above her. Someone. For a moment, she thought it was Solas or maybe Dorian. She hoped. Disappointment thrummed through her when she realized it was neither of them. The little girl from before stared down at Makenna. Her lips were curved into a smile. But that wasn’t what disturbed Makenna the most. No…

It was what was behind her.

At first, she thought she was seeing things. Long, deathly white fingers tapered into black fingernails making them resemble claws. Makenna could see them digging into the girl’s arm. Rivulets of blood cascaded down her skin and dripped from her fingers. A face of sorts peered around above the girl’s shoulder. There were no eyes. Just large teeth covered the bottom half of its face. There was nothing to cover them.

This was it.

This was the thing that had called her here. It had been hiding. And now it wasn’t.

Even though it had no lips, Makenna felt like it was grinning at her. Darkness crept around the edge of her vision. She wasn’t going to make it much longer. No one was coming to help her. How could they?

Makenna felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and she cried out, the last bit of air escaping her lungs. That was it. She was done for.

But they disappeared above her and so did the pressure on her chest. Makenna grabbed the edge of the tub and hauled herself upright as hands plunged into the water to grab her. They felt real, solid, and she didn’t fight. She filled her lungs with fresh air and began to cough. Leaning over the side, Makenna retched water onto the floor.

The hand patted her back. The porcelain was cool under her cheek as she rested for a moment. She wasn’t surprised to see Solas kneeling beside the tub.

“You saw it?” he asked the question, but she felt like he already knew the answer. Still, she nodded and he let out a breath. “It’s been waiting to show itself.”

“What is it?” she asked, her throat and lungs felt raw and she winced.

“A horror. Brought through many years ago and has been bound here ever since.”

A horror. That name didn’t mean anything to her. She didn’t know what it was. And she no longer wanted to find out. “We should leave,” she mumbled.

Solas sighed. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

Makenna lifted her head. “What? You were asking me to leave and now you don’t want me to?”

Solas frowned, brushing his fingers over her shoulder. Pain in her shoulder exploded and she sucked in a breath. Turning her head, she saw why. A set of teeth marks were embedded in her skin. It bit her. The fucking thing had bit her. Why?

“I’m sorry, Makenna,” Solas murmured. “It’s attached to you. If you leave, it will follow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song from this chapter: [Wolves Without Teeth by Of Monsters and Men](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAI5GSyXMjA)


	11. Precipice

Solas rubbed the salve into her shoulder before she pulled on a shirt to cover the marks. The last thing she needed was everyone freaking out. Especially since she knew that leaving wouldn’t help her situation. “I shouldn’t have come here,” she murmured.

“It’s not as if you understood the danger of coming here,” Solas reassured her, rinsing his hands in the sink. 

“I should’ve listened to you.”

He sighed. “I didn’t properly express the danger of staying here. I wasn’t sure if you’d…” he trailed off.

“Believe?”

He nodded.

Makenna snorted. “That’s a weird thing to worry about with me.”

“True, but you have to admit, our abilities are not common amongst your people,” he said.

“Are they common for yours?”

“Some. My family is no stranger to them. Because of it, I was able to spend time learning instead of guarding myself or defending myself,” he answered, turning back to her while leaning on the counter. “You haven’t had that.”

“No, I haven’t,” she agreed. Makenna folded her hands in her lap. “So what are we going to do?”

“Perhaps there is something in the library. Something that can help us determine our next step.”

Makenna stood up from the edge of the tub. “Let’s get started then.”

Solas followed her from the bathroom and out into the hallway. It was empty. Quiet. Sun filtered in through the windows. It was just past midday. The library was a little darker but lit well enough to see. It was huge. Makenna didn’t know where to start. But it seemed like Solas did.

Stepping around her, he walked to the middle section of shelves on the left. A book was open and displayed on a pedestal at the end of the shelf. He leaned over—frowning—his eyes moving over the words. She walked to the shelf beside him. Some of the books were titled and some were not. Most were in a language she didn’t recognize.

“You said it was a horror…what is a horror? Like a demon?” she asked.

“In a way. It’s a malevolent spirit that’s summoned and takes a host.”

“A host?”

Solas looked at her. “Usually someone like us. It…possesses us until the body degrades and then it looks for another.”

Her chest constricted. A chill ran up her spine. She tried not to panic. “That’s why it wants me.” It wasn’t a question.

Looking somber, Solas nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

Makenna’s fingers dug into her side. “How long do you think…”

“I don’t think it’s going to wait much longer.”

She let out a breath. “Oh.”

Solas reached for her, his hand wrapping around hers. “I’m not going to let it take you, Makenna. I can promise you that.”

“How?”

“Because I’m going to search for a solution. I think there is something to be found in this library.” He squeezed her hand. “I will find it.”

Maybe it was an empty promise. And maybe he couldn’t find a damn thing to help her. But Makenna allowed herself to be reassured. After all, Solas did know more than she did. He certainly had better control when it came to dealing with spirits. She wished she had that kind of control. Wished she would’ve been able to learn that kind of control.

He turned back to the book, carefully flipping the old and brittle pages. While he did so, Makenna moved further down the shelves. A book on the bottom shelf caught her eye. There was no writing on the black spine. And the books surrounding it also had equally dark spines. It shouldn’t have jumped out at her. But it did.

Kneeling down, she pulled the book from the shelf. She ran her fingers over the blank cover. There was nothing to indicate what was in the book. Makenna carefully opened it to a random page. It was blank. She flipped through a few more pages to sure. Maybe it was supposed to be a journal? She frowned.

Makenna closed the book with a snap and the library went dark. She turned to speak to Solas, “Hey, what—”

He wasn’t there. Standing up from the floor, she looked around. “Hello?” she called. No one answered her. “Solas?” Makenna held the book against her chest and walked to the center of the library. It was dark as if it were nighttime. And when she looked out the windows to check, it was also dark outside. How had she lost so much time? Or maybe this was another dream.

_Not again._

A noise came from the bedrooms. It sounded like a scream that had been cut short. She didn’t want to go look. But she knew she would have to. It wouldn’t let her go otherwise. It was taunting her now. Scaring her.

And it was working.

Makenna walked to the bedrooms. All of the doors were shut, except for hers. It’s where it wanted her to go. So she did. The room was lit by a fire roaring in the fireplace. The crackling flame threw shadows on the wall. But her eyes were drawn to the bed.

The girl from before stood in the middle. Her back was to Makenna. And she was standing over something…or someone. A knife was in her hand, her knuckles were white as they gripped the handle. Blood dripped from the blade.

When she turned to face Makenna, the malicious grin from before was gone. No. This was the face of a scared little girl. Tears stained her cheeks. Bright red blood was splattered on her dress. When she raised her hand, the knife glinting in the light, Makenna could see white slender fingers gripping her wrist. The horror. It was controlling her. Was this when it first came through? Was the girl his first host?

And was this what it was going to make her do?

Makenna felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to look. Solas was staring at her, his face inches from hers. The library was lit again. And she was still kneeling on the floor with the book open in her lap. “What did you see?” he asked.

“I uh…saw the girl. The one that led me to the cliff. I think she was the first host,” she said, shaking her head. It was disorienting to go from dreaming to reality in mere seconds. “I found this book, but it's empty—” Makenna held up the book to show him and was taken aback. It wasn’t empty at all. Words were scribbled across the pages along with pictures. She flipped through a few pages until she saw something she recognized.

A crude drawing of the horror took up most of the page. She started, nearly dropping the book. “Unbelievable,” she murmured.

“May I?” Solas asked, holding out his hands for the book.

Makenna thrust it into his hands like it was a hot potato. Fingers tapped the page and his eyes moved over the writing around the picture. “I think this will help us, but I need to study it,” Solas said, standing up.

Together they moved to the small couch in front of the window. Solas balanced the book in his lap to read. Makenna peered over his shoulder, but it all looked like gibberish to her. She couldn’t tell if the script was incredibly fancy or if it was another language entirely. But Solas didn’t look like he was having any trouble. His lips moved as he read, but no sound came out.

Minutes ticked by and his focus didn’t waver.

Makenna felt her eyes get heavy. It was warm in the library. And she was already running on minimal sleep. It was only natural that she would get tired. Begin to fall asleep. But she was afraid. She didn’t want to dream again. Not with that thing prowling around on the fringe of her consciousness.

Solas’ arm snaked around her waist as he balanced the book with his other hand. “You can sleep. Nothing will bother you right now.”

“How can you know?”

“It doesn’t like me,” he promised. “It won’t come near if you sleep here.”

Makenna stifled a yawn. “Promise?”

“I do.”

That was enough for her. Makenna snuggled into his side, albeit it wasn’t the most comfortable position. Still, her eyes fluttered closed. She just needed a little bit of sleep. Just a little…

When she heard the whispers, she stiffened, thinking it might be the horror trying to invade her mind again. But when she recognized the voices, she relaxed. How long had she been asleep? It felt like she was lying down now. Yet, she didn’t remember doing so.

“Have you really liked her all this time?” Dorian asked, his voice close.

“I have,” Solas answered.

“Because of a kiss?”

“No,” Solas murmured. “Because of what I felt.”

“Oh?”

Makenna had to admit she was curious too, but Solas didn’t say anything more. Just what had she made him feel? Sure, the kiss was fantastic. So was the one they shared earlier. Was it really enough for him to still have a thing for her? Was there something else?

“You know she’s engaged?” Dorian finally asked.

“I do.”

Dorian sighed. “She has yet to gain the courage to break it off.”

“Does she want to?”

There was silence and she assumed Dorian nodded.

“Does she not like him?” Solas asked.

“I don’t know. Honestly, every time I bring him up, she changes the subject. When it first happened, she was angry with the whole arrangement. Then she was going to give it a chance—mostly to please her mother—and then she was adamantly against it, but too afraid to say anything.” Dorian paused. “The change happened the summer after it was announced.”

“Perhaps something happened?”

“Maybe? She hasn’t told me otherwise.”

Makenna drew a breath in through her nose. “It was the house,” she said, opening her eyes.

“Kaffas!” Dorian started. “Don’t do that.”

She grinned. “My bad.” But she wasn’t sorry at all. Why should she be the only one getting jump scared this trip? Solas didn’t seem affected at all. In fact, the small smirk he threw her way indicated that he knew when she had woken. Her head was on a pillow beside his thigh and her feet were propped up on the arm of the couch.

Dorian was sitting on the floor in front of Solas. “What house?” he asked.

Makenna’s smile dropped. It wasn’t something she liked thinking about. And it wasn’t something she had told Dorian—or anyone else—before. “Mother wanted me to get to know Kiernan and his family. To try and change my mind. She sent me to stay for the summer at his family home while my parents and my sister went on vacation.” She sighed. “I was already pissed about that. And it made them virtually unreachable.”

Dorian leaned forward. “Was his family that bad?”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t his family. It was the house.” Unease settled into her stomach. “It felt…similar to here in a way. Like a void. And I constantly felt like I was being watched…evaluated. And Badb?” A shiver ran down her spine. “Badb is…terrifying. Calculating. Cold.”

Solas ran his fingers through her hair, his nails lightly scratching her scalp. It was a soothing motion. But she still felt sick to her stomach.

“I kept feeling this tension just building up to something. And I didn’t want to be around for it. I called my mother two weeks before my stay was supposed to end. At first, she refused to come and get me. But I told her she could come and get me, or I was going to pack and leave on my own. So she made up a family emergency…” Makenna trailed off. “The house felt…disappointed. If I marry him, I’ll have to go back there.”

Dorian grimaced. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know. Some part of me thinks that I was making it up because I really don’t want to marry him at all…but, I also don’t think it’s true.”

“What do you think the truth is?” Solas asked.

She looked up at him. “I’m going to die in that house if I go back.” It was the first time she had ever vocalized that fear. And she was surprised by the conviction in her own voice.

Dorian let out a breath. “So that’s it.”

“What’s it?”

“You prove this is real. You prove your feelings—your intuition—are real as well. Then your mother will believe you and let you call off the marriage,” he said.

Makenna flushed.

“Hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?”

“It’s just not because of that,” she mumbled.

“Maybe not. But it’s a big reason,” Dorian rebutted. “It explains why you’ve been throwing yourself at everything headfirst, without thinking.”

She was quiet.

“Even if your mother doesn’t believe you, we’ll find a way out of it,” Dorian promised.

“I don’t know how,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry. Nothing a good scandal won’t fix.” He winked.

Makenna snorted.

Dorian stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “Now come on. It’s time to make dinner.”

Solas closed the book and tucked it under his arm. She wondered if he found anything, but she didn’t want to ask in front of Dorian. She didn’t want to worry anyone. Pushing herself up, she swung her legs around to the floor. The light in the library wasn’t as bright. Through the window she could see the rich purples and reds in the sky, indicating the sun was sinking below the horizon. She slept longer than she thought she would’ve.

Bull and Raina were already in the kitchen. Despite only being around them for one day, Solas jumped in with ease. He and Makenna were side by side as they prepped for dinner. Their hands would brush together. Sometimes on accident, but mostly on purpose.

Even with her shoulder aching from the bite, dinner was loud and full of laughter. It was almost as if they weren’t even staying at a haunted house at all. And when the dishes were cleaned up, they sat around the table sharing the bottles of wine they had picked up the night before.

“So why are you in the Emerald Graves, Solas?” Dorian asked.

Solas set down his wine glass. “Visiting with friends for the summer. I’m beginning a new job soon and I wanted to take the opportunity while I still had some time.”

“When did you finish school?” Raina piped up.

“This past year. I majored in Art History and minored in early Elvehn art and architecture.”

“Oh!” Raina leaned forward. “Did you hear about the frescos they found while excavating Skyhold?”

Solas nodded. “I was a part of that actually. That’s the job I just finished.”

Dorian and Makenna shared a look and smiled as Raina picked Solas’ brain about the findings. They quietly sipped their wine while following the conversation. Raina loved art history but didn’t get the opportunity to study it herself. Not if she wanted to be First.

Half an hour later, Makenna couldn’t help but yawn into her hand. The nap helped. But she was still exhausted. And the wine was gone. Perhaps she would sleep better with a slight buzz.

“I think we should turn in for the night,” Dorian said when the conversation lulled.

Makenna nodded. They stood up and placed the empty glasses in the sink. One of them would wash them later. And the wine bottles were left beside the sink to be recycled. Together they walked up the stairs. She could feel Solas’ eyes on her when they reached the bedrooms. Turning to look at him, she offered him a small smile. He still had the book with him.

“Goodnight, Makenna,” he said.

“Goodnight, Solas.”

He stepped into his room first and closed the door. When she turned back the others were staring at her. “What?”

Dorian sighed. “Nothing. Just thinking of ways to quickly break your engagement.”

“Why?”

Bull snorted.

“You’ll figure it out eventually,” Dorian teased. “Now get some sleep.”

She only hoped she could.

Like the night before, they left the bathroom door open and the light. Although after what happened earlier, Makenna didn’t feel any guarantee of safety. Still, she changed into shorts and a shirt. Raina had her back to Makenna, so the marks on her shoulder weren’t noticed. They climbed under the blanket and pulled it up to their chins.

“Makenna?” Raina murmured, facing her.

“Hm?”

“Solas seems nice.”

“Mhm.”

“Do you like him?”

Makenna drew in a breath. “I…I barely know him.”

“Do you want to get to know him?”

“Maybe,” Makenna answered, twisting her fingers in the fabric of the blanket. “I’d like to think so. But who knows if we’ll see each other after this…”

Raina yawned. “You were dreaming about each other. That has to account for something.”

“I just don’t want to disappoint,” Makenna mumbled.

Raina shifted, moving closer to Makenna. “You’re not disappointing. You just doubt yourself too much.” They were inches apart. Makenna didn’t know if it was so she could feel reassured, or so Raina would be less scared in this place. Either way, it was nice. It made her feel better.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“Mhm.”

She was shaken awake. Makenna blinked in the darkness. Weird. The light from the bathroom was gone. Had someone closed the door? No one would do that. She heaved a sigh. Why couldn’t these damn ghosts just let her get a little bit of sleep?

Rain pattered against the windows and she could hear thunder rumbling in the distance.

“Makenna?” Raina whispered beside her.

“What? What time is it?” Makenna mumbled, still not fully awake.

A sniffle beside her made her shift to her side. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I think…I think something grabbed my foot.” Raina’s voice trembled.

Makenna sat up. With her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she could see Raina’s form beside her. Raina was clutching her leg. It was too dark to tell if she was hurt or bruised. Makenna reached over, her hands groping around, for the table lamp. But when she tried to click it on, it wouldn’t. “Fuck. I think the power’s out.”

Instead, she grabbed her phone and turned on the screen. It illuminated enough for Makenna to check Raina’s foot. Thankfully, there were no marks. But her friend was shaken.

“I want to leave,” Raina said.

They should leave. Makenna couldn’t. Not now. But she should tell them the truth. Let them go and be safe. Because this house wasn’t going to be safe for them. “Okay, I’ll wake—”

BANG!

They jumped. Raina’s hands clutched at Makenna’s arms. Her nails dug into Makenna’s skin.

The sound came from the hall. Not directly outside their door, but close by.

BANG!

It was closer. Like it was moving towards them. It was trying to scare them. And it was working. Makenna didn’t know what to do. She was at a loss.

BANG!

It was right outside their door now. Raina shoved her face into Makenna’s shoulder not noticing Makenna’s grimace.

The doorknob shook before the pounding started again.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally post on Friday, but since it's Halloween on Saturday I'll be posting the next chapter then and the last chapter on Sunday!


	12. The Horror

The sound stopped. Makenna wasn’t sure if it was going to start again. And she was too scared to look. Raina was huddled up beside her. Her nails were still digging into Makenna’s arm. Surprisingly, no blood had been drawn yet.

BANG! BANG!

They both jumped even though it wasn’t nearly as forceful as before.

“Makenna!” Dorian’s voice on the other side of the door made her shoulders sag in relief.

Raina still had a grip on her as they moved towards the door. It could be a trap. But Makenna didn’t think so. She turned the knob while Raina cowered behind her. She flung the door open and she was equally relieved to see Bull, Dorian, and Solas on the other side.

“What the hell was that?” Dorian asked.

“You didn’t see anything?” she shot back.

He shook his head. “Whatever it was, it was gone by the time we came out of our rooms.”

“I want to leave,” Raina repeated her earlier sentiment.

“Me too,” Bull echoed.

Makenna and Solas shared a look. How was she going to tell them she couldn’t? That it wouldn’t matter. It wanted her and it was close. Dorian would be furious.

“I vote we go now and come back for our stuff later,” Dorian said. “I don’t want to spend the night here.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay at my lodgings. There’s enough room,” Solas offered.

They heard a crash come from the downstairs. Now she understood why no one ever made it to the third night if this is what the horror did. And why the owner couldn’t sell the place no matter how hard he tried.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Dorian started for the library.

Nothing stopped them as they descended to the first level. The others headed right for the door, but Makenna paused. “The keys.”

Everyone stopped.

“The keys are in the kitchen. I have to get them so you can get out of here,” she said, turning on her heel.

“What do you mean _you_?” Dorian’s question made her stop again. “You are coming with us. Right?”

She winced. She was dreading this.

“Makenna?”

“I can’t,” she answered, turning around. “I can’t go with you because it’s…”

“Attached,” Solas filled in.

“Right.” She nodded. “It’s attached itself to me and if I leave, it follows.”

“What?”

Makenna pulled the sleeve of her t-shirt up to show them her shoulder. “It drew me here because it needs a host. It’s not going to let me go.”

“Makenna—”

“But you should go. You’re not safe here.”

“Are you kidding me!” Dorian shouted. “Do you really think for one second that any of us is going to just leave you here in this fucking house?”

“But—”

“And you didn’t tell us this. You lied _again_! Is telling the truth that difficult? We wouldn’t be in this mess if you would just stop lying about everything!”

Makenna wasn’t sure where it came from. She wasn’t even sure it was her. But the surge of anger made her gasp. Her blood boiled and her face flushed red. “Oh! I’m the liar?” She poked herself in the chest for emphasis. “I’m not the one who is using this trip because I’m too scared to cope with my dying father!”

As quickly as it hit her, it drained out of her. And she was horrified. She wasn’t the only one. Her friends were staring at her in shock. And Dorian…Dorian just looked hurt beyond belief. Her heart fell into her stomach. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ Dorian turned his back to her to head for the front door. _I didn’t mean it_. Makenna stepped forward to follow him, the stone chillingly cold underneath her feet. “Wait—"

The stone had never given any indication before that it was unstable. Yet, when she stepped forward she felt it crack under her foot. It wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t be possible. But after this trip, she heavily questioned what was possible anymore.

Hearing the crack, Dorian turned back to her. He was too far away to reach. Solas was the only one close enough. But as the stone crumbled under her, his hand missed hers by inches. Her scream echoed into the darkness as she fell.

“It’s time to grow up. You’re not a child anymore,” her mother barked at her. “We are accepting the marriage proposal and that is that.”

Makenna’s shaking hands clenched into fists. _Unfair_. She was seething. Her mother wouldn’t even listen, to her. How could a group of adults make a decision about her future and she wasn’t even allowed to argue it? She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. There was no way she was just going to get married to some man she didn’t even know. She’d run if it came down to it.

Her heels clicked against the marble floors as she walked to the ballroom. Dorian would be waiting for her. And he would know what to say. Maybe know what to do. After all, his own father had tried the same thing, but Dorian got out of it. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life married to a woman he would never love. And she didn’t want to either.

The ball was already in full swing. Masks covered everyone’s face. Some were simple, some were dripping in jewels that glinted in the twinkling lights of the chandeliers. She was the only one barefaced. Her fury was enough of a mask for her.

Dorian was standing by the punch bowl. His mask only covered his eyes. The black fabric was trimmed with gold and dotted with rubies and emeralds. It was opulent without being overstated. A surprise. Dorian was usually flashier.

“I suppose it’s a good thing I remembered your mask,” he said as she approached, holding it up for her.

Makenna grabbed the silver wolf mask and put it on with a sigh. Her mouth and chin were all that was visible with the mask.

“Another argument with your mother?” he asked.

She huffed. “Didn’t you hear the good news? I’m getting married,” she spat.

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.”

“Makenna, I’m—”

“And I have to dance with him and be nice,” she mocked her mother’s tone. “Goddess forbid, if I embarrass her.”

“Are you going to dance with him?” he asked.

Makenna scoffed. “No.” Her tone was defiant, but she knew she would probably do it just to avoid a fight.

Eyeing the dancers already on the floor, she paused when she saw someone was staring at her. Rather intently too. His wolf mask was similar to hers except it covered the entirety of his face. All she could see were his stormy grey eyes. “I’ll be right back,” she murmured, barely hearing Dorian asking her where she was going.

Makenna skirted the edge of the dance floor. Her dress skimmed the tops of her feet. The amethyst fabric was dotted with small jewels that glittered as she moved. The slit in the side bared her leg up to her thigh. Not exactly scandalous for this crowd. The straps crossed over her chest before disappearing over her shoulders. The back dipped down to her tailbone. Good thing it was the beginning of summer.

He seemed to drink in every detail until she was standing in front of him—two wolves staring each other down. She didn’t know who he was. But when he bowed and offered his hand, she took it. His slender fingers wrapped around hers and he led her to the dance floor.

In truth, she never had any desire to dance at these things. They were far too stiff for her. She just intended to drink in the background, eat some of the food, and sneak off with Dorian back to their rooms to veg out. But his hand pressed against her lower back and she was suddenly thankful she had learned every dance her mother wanted her to.

They moved in sync. Like they had practiced this dance a thousand times. One dance turned into two turned into three. She ignored the glare from her mother and the puzzled looks from Dorian. Makenna didn’t want to stop dancing with him. But when the song ended and he stepped back, she found herself clutching his arm. “Come with me,” she whispered.

The ballroom faded behind them as she led him further and further away. Up the stairs and down a hall until she was standing in front of her guest quarters. The door closed behind them and she pulled off her mask. He followed. Freckles dotted his pale skin. His jaw was strong and shark. Auburn hair was plaited and tied off with a ribbon.

She didn’t even ask his name. Cupping his face, she drew him down to meet her. Their mouths clashed together all heat and tongue. Cools fingers moved over her shoulders, pushing her straps down her arms. _No_. Her dress pooled around her feet. _This isn’t how it happened_. Makenna’s unbuttoned his shirt to divest him of it.

The comforter was soft under her back. It was like laying on a cloud. And he was a comforting weight on top of her. His knee pressed in between her thighs and when she gasped, he covered his mouth with hers. Fingers danced over her skin, moving closer and closer to her center. She didn’t even know his name and it didn’t seem to matter one bit.

_This isn’t right._

Makenna shook her head; the strange thoughts were unwelcome. And distracting. He kissed her jaw, down her neck, and drifted over to her shoulder. _THIS ISN’T RIGHT!_ His teeth sank into her shoulder. Makenna choked on a scream. Tears welled in her eyes. Something warm and wet trickled down her shoulder.

He pulled away. Blood dripped from his mouth and splashed onto her face. _It’s not him_. He grinned, wider and wider, until his lips disappeared. _It’s not real._ Skin turned ashen and his eye sockets grew smaller until they disappeared completely. The horror loomed over her, her blood in its mouth.

Makenna screamed.

Her shoulder throbbed. Actually, every bit of her did. Makenna opened her eyes. It was just dark. A moment of adjusting, and she could see the ceiling above her. Where was she? She fell through the first floor so she must be in the basement.

“Another basement,” she groaned.

Eyes flitting around the room, she saw children’s furniture. A small bed, a wardrobe, a desk. Another room to lock a child up in. A child like her. The child that had lured her. It had to be. And the child was probably trapped here now. Like an echo. The horror using her like a puppet.

Makenna had to get out of here. She didn’t want to end up like that.

She began to push herself up with her arms and stifled a cry at the pain that shot from her wrist to her already throbbing shoulder. Shifting her weight to her right arm, she managed to sit up. She cradled her injured arm into her lap. It was swollen and the skin of her wrist was beginning to purple. Makenna gently touched her wrist and grimaced. She was fairly certain it was broken.

Using her free arm, she took stock of her other injuries. Most of her just felt like a giant bruise. She shifted her legs, trying to pull them under her so she could stand. Pain flared in her right ankle. Her fingers pressed against the tender, swollen flesh. Didn’t feel broken. It was probably just sprained. Regardless, she was going to have a hard time getting out on her own.

“Makenna?”

She looked up, the voice coming from above her. The hole wasn’t huge. Just big enough for her to fall through. And she couldn’t get see who was calling her, but she knew Dorian’s voice.

“I’m here…” her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “I’m here!” she called again.

The string of curses made her crack a smile. “I know you like being dramatic, but this is ridiculous.” His attempt at humor did little to cover up the worry in his voice. “Are you hurt?”

“My ankle is sprained, and I think my arm is broken,” she called back. “And everything hurts.”

She heard whispered voices but didn’t know what they were saying no matter how hard she strained.

“We’ve called for help and Raina’s gone to open the gate. We tried to access the basement already, but the door is bolted shut,” Dorian said. “Bull and Solas are still trying.”

Who knows how long it would take them to get to her? And who knows if they would even get to her in time? It wasn’t showing its face now, but she knew it was close. Lurking. Waiting. For a moment, it almost had her. She may not be able to reject it again. “I’m scared,” she whispered knowing Dorian probably wouldn’t hear it.

“It’s going to be okay,” Dorian reassured her. “We’re not going to give up on you. You know that?”

“I know—”

“And next time you want to go on a vacation, we’re going somewhere nice. Like a resort—”

“Dorian?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m…” she swallowed, her throat dry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“I know.” His voice was softer. “You’re not wrong though. My father and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, but his dying terrifies me. And I don’t want to face it. At least, not alone.”

“I wouldn’t let you,” she promised. “None of us would.”

A skittering sound behind her made her jump. It sounded like a bug or a small animal. But she didn’t think it was either of those things. Makenna bit back a sob. They weren’t going to get to her in time. There was no way. The horror wasn’t going to be kept waiting for much longer.

Dorian didn’t answer her. Fear speared through her chest. Did it get Dorian? Or had he left? But he wouldn’t do that.

“Dorian?” she called.

No answer.

A chill shot up her spine. It was definitely in the room with her. But it wasn’t showing itself. Not yet. Why? Was it just trying to scare her some more?

BANG!

Makenna shrieked. It came from the far wall. It was too dark to see what it was.

“Makenna!” the muffled call came from the other side of the wall. No. Not wall. Door.

They had gotten into the basement.

Maybe they would get to her after all.

“I’m here!”

“Hold on!” Bull called back to her. Something thudded against the door.

The skittering came from behind her again. _Fuck this_. She wasn’t going to be a sitting duck if she could help it. Makenna scooted her butt across the floor. The stone was freezing to the touch. Cold seeped through her shorts. It was the kind of cold that burned. Using her free hand, she pulled herself towards the door. When she got closer, she could see the ornate knob jutting out from the wall. Something easily missed in the darkness. She was so close.

Fingers threaded through her hair and yanked. Nails dug into her scalp so hard they drew blood. It dragged her back to where she had started, slamming her into the stone floor so hard she saw stars. She couldn’t help the scream that burst from her chest that was equal parts shock and fear.

The thudding against the door grew louder and more insistent.

It let go of her hair, only to place a hand on either side of her head. Slowly, it moved into her vision. Her heart stuttered in her chest. Teeth parted and darkness oozed from its mouth. Ichor splashed onto her cheek and she jumped.

_I’m offering a gift._

A hand moved and a finger pressed to her lips. Makenna clamped her lips together. It hissed, trying to work its finger into her mouth. More ichor dripped from its mouth and fell onto her face. If it was trying to get her to let that shit in her mouth, it had another thing coming. It growled in frustration. Withdrawing its finger, it gnashed its teeth together.

_Fight all you like. There are other ways of opening you._

She didn’t like the sound of that.

The horror placed its hand on her chest. Nails dug into the skin over her sternum and she tried not to cry out.

A crashing sound and a burst of light made it stop. Makenna looked up. Bull and Solas burst into the room, the door in shambles. An ax in Bull’s hand glinted in the light from the flashlight Solas was carrying. The pressure disappeared from her chest. The horror reared back, screeching its displeasure at being foiled for a second time.

Bull swung.

It caught the horror in the face, shattering its teeth and sinking into its head. Ichor covered the axe-head and dripped from the wound like blood. The horror fell to its knees. Makenna didn’t know if it would stay down. But perhaps this bought them enough time. A thought that seemed to be shared between Bull and Solas.

Without sparing a second, Solas handed Bull the flashlight and scooped Makenna up as if she weighed nothing. He was careful not to jostle her arm or ankle as they backtracked through the basement and up the stairs to the kitchen. They didn’t stop for anything. And nothing tried to stop them.

When they entered the foyer again, she saw Raina helping Dorian up from the floor. He was rubbing the back of his head. Is that why he had stopped responding? The horror didn’t want him talking to her and so it acted? Regardless, he looked relieved when he saw her. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said.

She nodded.

Rain came down in torrents. Once on the porch, Solas carefully set her down on a rocking chair. He brushed some of the ichor from her cheek. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“No,” her voice trembled as she answered. Tears threatened to spill over. She still didn’t feel safe. It could still come for her even if she left the house.

As if he knew exactly what he was thinking, Solas stroked her hair. “I’ll handle it,” he promised.

Red and blue lights flashed in the distance.

“It’s over.”


	13. Fin...?

Bright fluorescent lights woke her. Makenna groaned. She thought being in a hospital would allow her to get more sleep, but the nurses were constantly waking her up. If it wasn’t to change the bandage on her shoulder, it was to give her antibiotics or check her vitals. And they always reminded her how lucky she was. Lucky to just walk away from falling through the floor with a sprained ankle and broken arm. Lucky to walk away from a nasty infection in her shoulder from a bite wound that baffled them. Sure, she had told them the truth—and the locals believed her—but they were stumped as to what to add to her medical records.

She was lucky to walk away from Chateau d’Onterre.

Dorian had ridden with her to the hospital when the ambulance showed up. He had a mild concussion but was otherwise okay. The others followed in the back of a cop car since the van keys were still inside and no one wanted to go for them. Solas had stayed until she had fallen asleep—thanks to painkillers—and was gone when she awoke.

Apparently, he hadn’t told anyone he was leaving, but the van appeared in the hospital parking lot later in the day. All of their things, the equipment, was all packed neatly inside. Makenna wanted to thank him. He had to have done it all by himself. Something she wasn’t sure she would’ve done. Especially if it meant stepping foot back into that place. But she didn’t even have his number, and she barely dreamed while on painkillers.

The horror wasn’t gone. But she didn’t feel attached to it anymore. It didn’t invade what little dreams she did have. Bull may have harmed its physical form, but it was still lurking in the chateau. It had to be.

Makenna felt something brush her cheek. “Can I sleep a little longer?” she whined.

The nurse didn’t answer and Makenna cracked open an eye to glare balefully. But it wasn’t a nurse there at all. Makenna’s eyes opened fully to make sure what she was seeing was real. So far it was. And it was terrifying. She would have preferred the horror.

Her mother stood beside the bed, a frown etched into her face. It was an expression Makenna saw often. Not surprising, but she hated seeing it.

Makenna cleared her throat. “Mama—"

“Foolish girl.”

Makenna expected the usual calm, coldness in her mother’s voice, but for once, her mother sounded like she was trying to suppress emotion. There was a rawness, a wetness, that Makenna had never heard before. It was shocking. Unexpected. Totally unlike her mother.

“You didn’t have to come—”

“Of course I did.”

They stared at each other. Neither of them sure how to proceed from here.

Finally, her mother crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you have any idea…” her voice cracked and she paused. “Any idea how it felt to get the phone call I received from Dorian? Any idea to hear that you were in the hospital? Any idea to learn that you went to Chateau d’Onterre of all places and were nearly taken by a horror? Or about what happened at the Dedrick house? Do you have—”

Makenna burst into tears.

Her mother stopped and sighed. “Oh Makenna,” she murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hands brushed away the tears as they dripped down Makenna’s cheeks. “You’re so stubborn you know that? You rush into things headfirst, and you get hurt. You’re so much like me and I’m not even sure you know it.”

Makenna snorted through her tears. Her mother may be stubborn, but she didn’t rush into things like Makenna did. She was much more calculated and precise in her moves.

“I’m serious,” her mother said. “When I was your age, I was all over the place. Your father mellowed me out.”

“Then why are you so harsh to me?”

Her mother’s lips pressed into a line. “I am, aren’t I?” she admitted, sighing. “You worry me. Always have. I put you on a path in the hopes that it would keep you safe.”

“Safe from what?” Makenna asked. “You’ve never believed me.”

Her mother turned her head away, looking guilty. “I’ve always believed you. But I—”

“What?” Makenna exploded. “This entire time you believed me, but you made me think I was making it up? You put me on medication that made me feel worse. I couldn’t even trust what I was seeing and feeling because of you. But you believed me?”

“Makenna—”

“I did this for proof, for some sort of understanding, for a reason. I wanted to know why I was so different; if there was some purpose for it. But this whole time, you knew I wasn’t lying?”

“I—”

“How could you do that to me?”

Her mother took a deep breath. “I thought it would keep you safe,” she said, resting her hands in her lap. “These abilities—gifts, my mother called them—run in the family. While there’s no strict rule about who gets them, it seems to skip a generation. When you were born and you opened your eyes, I knew then. It was going to be you. And I hoped I was wrong. I hoped until you were a toddler, staring and pointing and laughing at things no one else could see.”

Makenna said nothing. Instead, she noted the dark circles under her mother’s eyes. The crow’s feet gathering at the edge of her eyes. Makenna could even see a wisp of grey air hidden in her mother’s copper curls.

“My mother was ecstatic. Said I should be happy about it, but I just couldn’t be. All I could think about was the toll it took on her. The kind of things I had seen her interact with, and the physical and mental wear on her because of it. I didn’t want any of those things for my child. But she never stopped, not for a moment, because she wanted to help. Help the living that were plagued with hauntings and help the dead move on.” Her mother brushed a stray hair away from her face. “You see Makenna, for normal people, most of these things don’t bother them. But for you—and my mother—they can be dangerous. You’re like a beacon to them and they will claw their way into this world to get to you. You make them real.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me this?”

“I should’ve. But I was hoping there was a way to get it to stop. For you to have a normal life without this burden.”

Makenna shifted, her back hurting from the position she had been stuck in. “At the Dedrick house, I was able to listen—to hear—and she told me what she needed to move on. Sure, it was scary at times, but I was able to give closure…and it felt good. I felt good. If I had to choose, I’d do it again.”

Her mother sighed. “I was afraid you would say that.”

They slipped into silence. Where to go from here? Makenna didn’t know. But she liked seeing this side of her mother. It was softer. Maybe she had seen it when she was younger, but it was not a side she had interacted with in her teen to adult years.

“I sent the others home,” her mother finally said. “Dorian received a call about his father. Iron Bull is accompanying him back to Tevinter—”

_Good._

“And Raina needed to return to her clan. I made sure they had train fare.”

“Thank you,” Makenna said.

“They’re good friends. I’m glad they were there for you.” Her mother stood. “When you’re discharged, I’ll be accompanying you back to Val Royeaux.”

“You’re not…” Makenna hesitated. “You’re not going to make me go back to Haven.”

“Why would I? You have a year left. I want to make sure you’re settled back into your apartment and you have what you need.”

Who was this person and where had her mother gone? Makenna stared at her suspiciously. “Because you hate my degree and we’ve argued about it, plus…my marriage to Kiernan is soon. I’m surprised you’re not making me get married sooner.”

Her mother winced. “About that—”

The door opened. This time it was a nurse. The night nurse, Angie, wheeled her cart into the room. “How are we feeling?” she asked, smiling.

“Tired.”

Angie nodded. “I’m sure you’re ready to leave and get some real sleep.”

_Not really._

“I need to check your wound,” Angie said. “Make sure it isn’t seeping again.”

Makenna undid the tie around her shoulder and let the fabric fall, baring her shoulder. Careful not to jostle her, Angie undid the wrapping and tossed it into a metal pan. The gauze was pulled away from her shoulder. Blood and black ichor had soaked the gauze and then dried. The skin around the bite marks was still red and shiny. Every time they drained it, it filled again. Although, it was happening less and less.

Angie tsked. “I think I’m going to have to drain it again.”

Makenna groaned. She was tired of having to do this. It hurt like a bitch every time. Angie patted her hand gently. Thank goodness, Angie was quick at it. Makenna turned her head away while Angie put on her gloves. Her mother reached down and held Makenna’s hand in hers. When the scalpel sliced into the wound, she bit back her tears. Without even looking, she could feel the infection ooze down her arm. _Fuck the horror_. She squeezed her mother’s hand.

In less than five minutes, Angie had drained the wound and repacked it. After a quick check of Makenna’s vitals, she left the room again. Makenna sank back into her pillow. She was tired again. Ready to fall asleep. But there were still things she wanted to know.

“What were you saying?” Makenna prompted.

Her mother sighed. “Kiernan came to Haven this summer. I suppose he was hoping you would return home.”

Makenna grimaced.

“And…well…something unexpected happened,” her mother continued.

Makenna’s brows furrowed. “What?”

“He spent a lot of time with your sister, and well…”

“No way,” she muttered.

Her mother nodded. “I hope you’re not disappointed—”

Makenna started to laugh much to her mother’s dismay. “Disappointed?” She choked back another laugh. “I’m relieved.”

Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Somehow I’m not surprised.” She sighed. “Now we just have to get his mother to accept the change in plan. But your sister will be happy. She was terrified to tell you.”

“Where is she, by the way?” Makenna asked. With her in the hospital, she expected both her sister and her father to also be here. Just having her mother here was strange.

“In the gift shop, with your father.” Her mother sat in the chair beside Makenna’s bed. “That was half an hour ago. But you know how your father is. He’s probably agonizing over which stuffed animal and bouquet you would like best and will eventually buy out the shop.”

Makenna giggled. “Sounds like papa.” She yawned. Reaching over to the bedside table, she grabbed her phone to check the time. It was almost six in the morning. There were no messages from Dorian. She hoped no news was good news. But with the call, she wasn’t certain. She sent him a quick message to remind him to let her know when he was home safe. If she weren’t in the hospital right now, she would be with him. But she was glad Bull was.

The door opened again and this time it was her father and Grainne walking through the door. True to her mother’s prediction, he had several stuffed animals in his arm and no less than four bouquets of flowers. Makenna snorted. He set them down in her lap and pulled her into a hug. A gentle one considering she was injured. But the familiar smell of wood, spice, and elfroot made her feel safe.

Her mother sat back with a small smile on her face while her father fussed over her. Grainne sat beside their mother. “You’ll never guess what I heard on the way up here.”

“Grainne,” their father warned. “It’s late and my _leanbh_ needs to get some rest.”

But Grainne waved them off. She stood back up and turned on the television in the room. “It’s already on the news apparently. The nurses were talking about it in the hall.” She changed the channels until she came to a local news channel.

Makenna sat up. A reporter stood in the foreground, but Makenna wasn’t paying attention to anything they were saying. No. She was staring at the building burning behind them. Chateau d’Onterre was on fire. And it was glorious.

 _I’ll handle it_.

Solas’ promise. He had fulfilled it.

Makenna laughed.

Despite it only being August, it was a chilly night in Val Royeaux. A sure sign autumn was just around the corner. It was her favorite season. Her boots resounded on the stone. Her sweater kept her warm enough. Although, with her arm in a cast, it had been a bitch to put on.

Makenna was holding a brown paper bag in her free hand. Her destination was within walking distance of the university. And she was even able to stop at the liquor store on the way. Two bottles of wine—one white and one red—were wrapped carefully in the bag.

The message notification from her phone echoed in her purse and she stopped. She shifted the handles of the bag to her wrist so she could fish into purse for her phone. But as she pulled it out, she fumbled, dropping it on the sidewalk. Makenna cursed and squatted down to grab it. Before she could, slender fingers wrapped around her phone and handed it to her.

Makenna knew who the fingers belonged to before she even looked up at his face. But it was still surprising to see him. Especially since she hadn’t seen him in several weeks. Not once had he come back to the hospital to see her. Nor had he popped up in her dreams. Yet here he was.

“Makenna,” his voice poured over her like a smooth wine.

“Solas.”

They stared at each other so long, Makenna’s thighs were starting to hurt. She took her phone back. They stood. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again,” she said, lifting the paper bag again.

“My apologies. I had…things to take care of.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Like burning down a chateau.”

“Did it burn down? I was unaware,” he replied, but his eyes twinkled. “Did they catch the perpetrator?”

“Nope. No leads at all.”

“Unfortunate.”

“Mhm.”

Solas’ eyes drifted to her arm. “How are you?” he asked.

“Better. No more infection, the marks are still there, but they’re healed. I have at least four more weeks with the cast. Which to be honest, sucks.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “And you? What are doing here?”

“I’m teaching,” he answered. “I’m working in the Art History department at the university.”

“Bullshit, how come I haven’t seen you?”

Solas chuckled. “I only arrived a few days ago. I’m still settling into my office and finalizing my course syllabi for classes next week.”

“Oh.” Makenna cleared her throat. “Why didn’t you come see me?”

Solas frowned. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me,” he admitted.

“Why? Afraid I wouldn’t want to be seen with an…” she looked around and dropped her voice. “ _Arsonist_?”

Solas laughed for a moment before sobering up again. “Not that. I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me because I wasn’t able to prevent you from being hurt.”

“Oh, Solas,” she murmured, stepping closer. “I don’t blame you for that. Besides, you burned down a haunted chateau for me. I think that evens it up a bit.”

“Makenna—”

“Besides, I should also tell you I’m not engaged anymore,” she cut him off.

“Truly?”

She nodded.

Solas let out a breath and she saw his shoulders relax a fraction. “I…see. Thank you for informing me.” But his eyes went to her arm again.

For fucks sake, he was really going to keep blaming himself, wasn’t he?

“If you want to make it up to me, you could come with me,” she offered.

“Where?”

“To Dorian’s,” she said. “He and Bull bought an apartment down the street. They’re having a bit of a housewarming.”

Solas shoved his hands in his pockets. “Wouldn’t I be intruding?”

“Not at all. They’d be happy to see you. And I bought two bottles of wine. We can pretend one is from you. Trust me, Dorian never turns down free wine,” she joked.

Solas smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Then I suppose I would be remiss not to accept. Especially if it puts me in your good favor.”

“Good,” Makenna said, thrumming with excitement.

Solas plucked the bag from her fingers and turned. They walked in silence for a minute. She couldn’t believe she was still a little nervous being around Solas.

“I thought Dorian was returning to Tevinter, to be with his father,” Solas said.

“He did,” Makenna confirmed. “And found out his father sent him away to try an experimental treatment. He didn’t want Dorian to know and get his hopes up in case it didn’t go well. But the treatment is working better than they thought. There’s even a chance he may pull out of it.”

“Incredible.”

She nodded. “He sent Dorian here to fulfill a diplomatic position in the embassy. Bull came with him and they bought a place.”

“I’m happy for Dorian. Losing a parent would be hard.” His tone was heavy as if he knew what that felt like. But Makenna knew both of his parents were still alive. Perhaps he just knew of loss and could imagine what it felt like.

“Me too.”

They came to a stop in front of an apartment building. Makenna opened her phone and checked Dorian’s message from earlier to make sure it was the right one. It was. But Makenna didn’t move. Instead, she turned back to Solas.

“Solas?”

“Hm?”

“I know we’ve met before and been through some things together, but there are still a lot of things I don’t know about you,” she said. “I would…” She cleared her throat. “I’d like to get to know you better, and I was hoping you felt the same way about me.”

Solas smiled, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. When he touched her it felt like time stopped. Makenna leaned into it.

“I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end! Thank you so much for reading! <3 <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> All kudos, comments, and bookmarks are loved! 
> 
> You should totally come hang out with me on [Tumblr!](https://wickedwitchofthewilds.tumblr.com)
> 
> If you want to know what kind of music I listen to while writing this then check out my playlist: [Chasing Ghosts](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jimApUnUIpBgNDXdhk1gV?si=sndk4_ZOTBWTllCVjJsh9Q)


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